


Swimming in ice

by Sayuri (Sayuri_Kato)



Category: Free!, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Bullying, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, First Time, Ice Skating, M/M, Major Character Injury, POV First Person, Past Relationship(s), Revenge, Secret Relationship, Swimming, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 92
Words: 173,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28465920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sayuri_Kato/pseuds/Sayuri
Summary: Haru's twin sister, Asami, the female gold medalist from the last season, decides on a whim to come to Tokyo to watch her brother swim. That's when she meets Ikuya, the IM swimmer who's still at odds with Haru.Hiyori is always protective of Ikuya, but soon his attention is drawn to a mysterious girl.Haru and Rin have always had a thing for each other. No matter how much Sousuke tries to stand between them, Rin finds a way.Yuri and Victor, as well as Otabek and Yurio, are Asami's closest friends and in established relationships.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Kirishima Ikuya/Original Female Character(s), Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky, Tono Hiyori/Original Character(s), Yamazaki Sousuke/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1055
Kudos: 167





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! After obsessing over Free! and Yuri!!! on Ice and rewatching them for a few times, I decided to just combine them already and get this idea out of my head!  
> Enjoy! Don't hesitate to leave kudos or comments!

_“I met you in the dark, you lit me up,  
You made me feel as though I was enough.” _

I’ve barely started singing and I already feel my eyes filling up with tears. I blink them away because that’s what I’m good at. No, correction. That’s what I used to be good at. Ever since I met him, my precious self control went to hell.

_“I knew I loved you then  
But you'd never know  
'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go.  
I know I needed you  
But I never showed.” _

This fucking song captures everything perfectly. This is exactly what I thought back then. I buried my feelings deep inside my heart and pretended they didn’t exist. I never would’ve thought that skating on “Nothing else matters” would resurface everything. All those bottled up feelings choked me, drowned me right there on the ice, in front of everyone. I made a fool of myself in front of the whole planet that watched me skate, because I suddenly realized that indeed, nothing else except him matters. 

_“I'm so in love with you  
And I hope you know  
Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold.” _

I try not to look up. From the moment I began singing, I stared only at my fingers dancing along the piano keys, because I’m scared he’s not here. 

_“I'm gonna love you 'til  
My lungs give out  
I promise 'til death we part like in our vows.  
So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows  
That it's just you and me 'til we're grey and old.” _

I never imagined myself singing and playing the piano in a fancy restaurant, painting my feelings for him in sounds and key notes out in the open like this. I look up for a second and notice some people recording me with their phones. Ever since I started singing I heard them talking about me. 

“Is that Nanase Asami?” 

“Did you see her skate last night?” 

“I was shocked to see her crying in the middle of her performance.”

_“Just say you won't let go  
Oh, just say you won't let go.” _

I grit my teeth as I push my tears back once again. I look around the restaurant and I can’t see him anywhere. I bite the inside of my cheek in anger, because I’ve made a fool of myself again. No, that’s not why I’m angry. I have to stop this bad habit. I’m actually angry because I pushed him away for good. I take a deep breath and start playing the next song. 

_“A broken heart is all that's left  
I'm still fixing all the cracks.” _

A broken heart? Me? I almost chuckle as I think about it, my fingers pressing almost violently on the piano keys. 

_“My mind feels like a foreign land  
Silence ringing inside my head.” _

My mind is indeed like a foreign land, I don’t recognize myself anymore. Who is this girl singing love songs and heartbreak songs in the middle of a fancy restaurant, while people record her and talk about her? I’m supposed to be taking pictures with my fans in Canada and shining during interviews like the queen of ice that I am, not sob-sing in Barcelona in front of a piano.

_“I don't need your games, game over  
Get me off this roller-coaster.” _

Gods above, I’m pathetic. Someone take me away from this piano before I embarrass myself even more, not that such a thing is possible, given the current situation.

_“All I know, all I know  
Loving you is a losing game.” _

This is it. He’s nowhere to be found. He doesn’t want me anymore. I sigh and stand, not even bothering to glance in the direction of the table where Haru and the others are sitting. He’s not there and it’s enough for me.

“Asami, can you…”

I turn to the group of young girls speaking in Spanish and looking at me. I struggle to swallow past the lump in my throat before I begin speaking “I’m sorry,” I say in Japanese, then clear my voice. “I’m sorry,” I repeat, this time in Spanish. “It’s impossible for me to take good pictures now, okay?” I add, carefully choosing my words and trying not to cringe as I know I butchered their language.

“Here,” one of them says, taking a step forward and offering me a rose. “We understand. We’re huge fans of yours and we only want what’s best for you.”

Her words sting. They have no idea what’s going on with me, just that their idol fucked up her exhibition skate. I chuckle as I take the rose, trying to be professional. “Okay, then. One selfie with all of you.”

They beam at me and grab onto my arms, pulling me in their circle as the girl who offered me a napkin takes out her phone. She takes a few selfies, then they all bow awkwardly at me, trying their best to mimic the Japanese greeting.

I apologize again and wave at them, then slowly start walking towards the exit of the restaurant. I’m half aware of the fact that I forgot my coat inside, but I don’t give a fuck to be honest. Maybe the winter cold will me make numb enough to forget that he didn’t show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two songs Asami sings:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om9JjOd8PvU
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq14sUySROo


	2. Asami's POV

“Haru!” I scream at the top of my lungs, waving at him.

I drop my suitcase and backpack and start running towards him, ignoring Yuri who calls after me. “Asami, your bags…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Victor tells him, chuckling as he leisurely drops an arm around his shoulders and turn them both towards a group of people yelling their names. “Wave to the fans and smile, Yuri.”

Haru cringes and closes one eye when I crash into him, wrapping my arms tightly around him. “Haru Haru Haru!”

“Stop it,” he mumbles, sighing. “I missed you too, probably, but I can’t seem to recall any of it right now,” he adds, trying to push me off.

I tighten my arms around him, grinning. “I’m not letting go, so you might as well put up with it.”

“Asami! Hebi – chan!”

I turn around to face my screaming fans and start waving at them, my gold medal visible around my neck. My nickname, Hebi – chan, comes for the cobra snake tattoo on my left arm. The black body of the snake curls around my forearm, from my elbow to my wrist and the head with its open mouth and bared fangs is tattooed on my palm. My fans get to see the scary snake on my palm every time I wave at them, because I always make sure to use my left hand. “Smile for the pictures, Haru,” I say, still grinning. 

Haru opens his mouth to complain, but I elbow him in his side. “Everyone, please come cheer for my twin brother at the All – Japan Invitational!”

My fans start clapping and cheering for Haru immediately. My twin brother tenses and takes a step back, muttering “Too loud,” but I keep him in place.

“You better get used to it, Haru. As soon as you make the Olympic team, you’ll be greeted like this in every airport,” I point out, before I start tickling his side. “Now smile, for fuck’s sake!”

It takes three seconds as Haru gasps, lets out a high pitched laugh, then pushes my hand away and turns around. “Can we go now, please? I hate you.”

“I love you, too,” I reply, chuckling as Haru picks up my suitcase and my backpack, then slowly but surely makes his way out of the airport.

“I’ll text you the name of the hotel where Victor and I made reservations,” Yuri tells me as I stand on my toes to kiss Victor on his cheek. 

“Ok, I’ll come drink with you guys when Yura and Beka get here,” I reply, as I kiss Yuri’s cheek too. “See you at practice tomorrow.”

I still can’t believe we managed to convince our coaches to let us have a vacation in Tokyo. To be honest, I don’t think I would’ve done this without Yura – I bet he can’t believe he agreed to help me, too. I chuckle to myself as I remember Yura’s beet red face when I caught him and Beka in the act. I never would’ve thought I’d see him as a pliant kitten under Beka but oh well. Dangling our gold medals from the last season in front of Yakov – Victor and Yura’s coach – and Sakamoto – my coach – surely helped, as well as our promises to work hard enough to win gold again this season. Fuck if I understand how those two old rivals are on such good terms that they mix their Russian and Japanese skaters, but I’m not complaining.

Anyways, this is not a vacation, this is actually a mixed training camp supervised by Victor for me, Yura, Otabek and Yuri. Victor as a coach is still a miracle in my eyes. Thank the gods he decided to make his comeback, I missed watching him skate in competitions.

I turn my head to my fans, waving at them for the last time as I walk towards the exit, when I suddenly slam into a hard, muscular chest. The impact sends me back a few steps, as I was walking pretty fast, so the guy grabs my forearm and tries to help steady me.

“Huh, this is new,” he says, his voice familiar. “I didn’t think you’d actually do it. And your hair,” he adds. “I can’t believe it reaches your butt.”

I raise my head to look at him and grin when I see his serious face, brows slightly furrowed as he stares at my tattoo. His lips form a smile, though, probably because of my hair. He always loved girls with long hair.

“Sousuke!” I exclaim, throwing my arms around his neck. 

His hands automatically settle on my waist, the familiar weight of his arms around me suddenly hitting me. It’s been a few years since we met and became friends in the US.

“Asami, what is taking you so long…Ah. Yamazaki.”

Haru’s voice sounds like a low growl as he spits out Sousuke’s name, his eyes turning cold.

“Nanase.” Sousuke doesn’t even look at Haru as he acknowledges his presence. “I see you took my…advice.”

I look from one man to the other, the tension between them almost palpable. I clear my voice and ask “What are you doing here, Sousuke?”, trying to divert their attention from one another.

“I came to greet a friend,” the brunet replies, finally turning to face Haru. “He must be tired, coming all the way from Australia, so I want to help him with everything I can.” He speaks the last sentence frowning at my brother.

“Hm, that friend is Rin…the Sakura boy, right?” I ask, laughing. “He’s my brother’s friend, too. I know about him. Let’s wait for him too, Haru.”

“No need,” my brother replies, his tone harsh. “Let’s go.”

“Oi, what the fuck are you doing at the exit, I looked for you everywhere.”

We all turn to see a very annoyed Rin, his crimson hard pulled back in a short messy ponytail at the base of his skull, dark circles under his eyes. His anger subsides when he notices Haru, his lips curling in a small smile and his eyes softening as he looks at my brother. 

“Haru, you came too?” Rin asks, chuckling. “I didn’t know you missed me so much.”

“He came for his sister,” Sousuke answers before Haru can say anything. “Come on, Rin, let’s go. You’ll see each other at the competition,” he adds.

Sousuke lets out an unmanly high pitched scream when I violently pinch one of his nipples through his T shirt. “You’re still the dick I used to know,” I tell him when he swats my hand away. “The competition is a few weeks away, moron. My friends made a reservation at a huge ass penthouse for their stay in Tokyo and I’ll take you all as my plus ones, the day after tomorrow night.”

“No, thank you,” Sousuke replies at the same time as Rin says “Sure, why not. You must be Asami.”

“Rin, you need to focus…” 

Rin swings an arm over Sousuke’s shoulders, dragging him away as he waves goodbye at me and Haru, the brown haired man’s voice still audible as he lectures Rin. 

“Poor Sousuke,” I comment as Haru leads me to Makoto’s car. “Must be hard on him, fucking up his shoulder and not being able to compete anymore.”

“He doesn’t let Rin swim free,” Haru comments, clicking his tongue, before he enters Makoto’s car and I’m left dumbfounded, looking after him.

“Hi, Asami. Get in,” Makoto says, his kind smile reaching his eyes. “Long time no see. I watched your competition, congratulations on your gold medal.”

I absent mindedly touch a nail to the gold medal hanging around my neck and nod as I enter the car myself, my eyes still on Haru. “Thank you, Makoto. I’m grateful you came such a long way to pick me up. I’m sure you’re busy.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. There’s no way I would’ve let Haru come alone,” he says, chuckling.

“I hate to admit, Haru did a pretty good job in there, posing with me for my fans.”

This time, Makoto lets out a very loud laugh. “Haru - chan, posing for pictures? Unimaginable.”

“Drop the chan,” the brunet mutters, sighing before he turns his head to look out the window.

“So, Haru, are you and Rin still mad at each other or something?” I begin, testing the water.

Makoto stills in the driver’s seat, but Haru casually shakes his head. “It’s Yamazaki that has a problem with me,” he adds and Makoto’s eyes widen. Clearly he didn’t expect Haru to speak openly like this, but I’m his twin sister. He’s different with me, no matter how much time we spend apart.

“What problem?”

“Why don’t you ask him, it seemed like you were pretty affectionate with him. I didn’t even know you were friends. Hell, I had no idea you knew each other.” There’s a tint of jealousy to Haru’s words as he throws them at me, but I’m used to this. I do the exact same thing when someone I don’t like gets too close to Haru. 

Makoto starts laughing. “You’re still like that with each other, I can’t believe it. Remember in elementary school when you punched me in the face because I hugged Haru?”

I groan and hide my face with my hands. “Please don’t remind me, Makoto. I said I’m sorry.”

The conversation diverts from Sousuke and Haru’s conflict, thanks to Makoto who updates me on his new job as a coach for kids. I tell them funny and scandalous stories from the skating world and before we know it, Makoto parks in front of Haru’s apartment building.

“Look at you, you can parallel park now,” I tease Makoto, patting his chest when we get out of the car. The brown haired man blushes and chuckles, pleased with himself. 

“Do you need help with your bags?” he asks me, but Haru intervenes “We’re fine. Thanks, Makoto.”

“Ok, then, I’ll see you around. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can come with you guys at the party…”

“Yes, you can and you will,” I interrupt him as I grab his forearm. “Please?” I ask, batting my eyelashes.

Makoto pretends to be blinded. “Not the puppy eyes!” He exclaims, rolling his eyes. “Fine, fine, I’ll come.”

Haru mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like “I’m not coming and that’s final,” but I know how to handle him.

I’ll just bribe him with mackerel. Besides, there’s no reason for him to refuse me. The party takes place after he finishes his races at the College Championships.

~~~~~~~~~~

I yawn and stretch my arms above my head, then look around, confused for a second, before I remember I’m in Haru’s apartment. He let me shower first, because he wanted to take a bath, so I must have fallen asleep while he was in the bathroom.

“Haru?”

There’s only silence around me, which means Haru either drowned in the bathtub – unlikely – or he isn’t home. I check the bathroom first - you never know – and it’s empty, so the only possibility left is that he’s gone out. I gasp as I consider the implications. Does that mean my brother finally got himself a partner? I’m not ready to make assumptions, since I know – he doesn’t – that he’s bisexual. Just like me.

“Haru, I’m hungry,” I complain to the walls, sighing. 

I let myself drop on the sofa in the living room, sighing again as I look around for my phone. Might as well order something, since I’m not in the mood to cook anything – and by anything, I mean the fucking mackerel that’s probably the only thing in his fridge.

A dark blue card with Haru’s name on it catches my eye. I pick it up, tapping on it with my long, black nails as I study it. A quick Google search enlightens me; it’s a membership to a very fancy swimming pool and gym center that’s open until midnight, unlike others.

A small smile tugs at my lips. It’s been too long since I enjoyed myself in a swimming pool.

~~~~~~~~~~

The skimpy one piece dark red swimsuit adorned with thin chains and straps that I last posed in during a photo shoot is the only one I’ve packed, so it will just have to do. It’s almost 11 pm when the taxi stops in front of the sports center, so I don’t think it matters that much what I’m wearing. No one is probably here anymore.

I use Haru’s card to check in, then leisurely make my way to the locker room. It’s empty, no sign of other people, just like I thought.

I check myself out in the mirror before I pull my hair up in a high ponytail. I’m not here to swim professionally, so I don’t bother with goggles or a swim cap. 

Only when I reach the huge swimming pool I notice I’m not alone in here. There’s someone swimming free and for a second I think it’s Haru. The style is just too damn similar. Mesmerized by what I see, I quietly make my way to the edge of the pool and sit, slowly dipping my legs in the water. The man doesn’t seem to notice me, which is perfectly fine for me, since I’m somehow unable to look away. I wonder how long he has been swimming like this for.

Without acknowledging me in any way, he gets out of the pool only to jump back in. This time he swims butterfly along the pool, only to change to backstroke when he reaches the other side of the pool. He’s swimming an individual medley, I realize as I keep watching him swim, changing to breast stroke and then free on the last leg. However, the way he swims free now is nothing like he did a few minutes ago. He seems to be struggling, swimming desperately instead of gracefully, but not as fast as before.

I get up and run to the edge of the pool where I know he’ll end up at, then lower myself on one knee. As soon as he gets there, I push my hands towards him and place them on his shoulders. I don’t know what I’m trying to do, steady him as he gasps for air or prevent him from going back to swimming. 

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, gripping his shoulders. “Do you need any help…?”

I yelp as he almost falls backward and since I was holding onto his shoulders, his sudden movement makes me lose my footing and drop unceremoniously into the pool, face first. I resurface immediately, coughing as I pick the wet stray hairs away from my face.

“I’m so sorry, are you alright?” he asks me, his eyes wide. He’s still breathing hard, but not gasping like he did before. I probably prevented a panic attack or something by mistake.

I look up at him to reply, but I’m left mouth agape when I find myself staring into deep vermilion eyes, outlined by dark lashes so long it looks like he’s wearing eyeliner. I grab onto his shoulders, trying to steady myself and clear my voice one, twice, until I’m confident I can speak something other than “Let’s have sex in the locker room.”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Are you okay, though? You seemed to be unwell earlier.”

Gods above, Asami. Are you planning to become a butler or something, with that formal language, I thought, mentally slapping myself.

He swallows and I shamelessly follow the movement of his neck with my eyes. “I trained more than I should have, that’s all,” he replies, pulling his swim cap off. He brushes a hand through his messy deep teal hair and I almost have to wipe the drool off the corner of my mouth. Holly fuck, he’s hot.

“Do I know you? I feel like I’ve seen you before,” he asks me, before he turns to grab onto the pool edge and push himself out of the water. “Let me help you out,” he offers, reaching out his hand towards me.

My eyes follow the muscles ripple along his arm, then I have to swallow hard when I see his elegant wrist and long fingers. I’m a sucker for long fingers. Literally.

I shrug. “It depends. Are you a fan of ice skating or do you know my brother, Haruka?”

His cute vermilion eyes widen again, realization suddenly hitting him when I grab onto his extended arm with my left hand and he sees my tattoo as he pulls me out of the water. “Hebi – chan…?”

He blushes hard, his cheeks turning a delicious color of crimson when his eyes travel down my body as he helps me out of the pool. We share a very small space on the edge of the pool, our feet touching as I raise my hands to untie my hair. I gently pushing my fingers through my wet locks, my body brushing against his when I move because he doesn’t step away from me. No that I want him to. I keep staring at his perfect collarbones. I like that he’s the same height as my brother.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologizes, eventually taking a few steps back. “I managed to pull the female gold medalist from the Grand Prix Final into the pool,” he mutters to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“It’s fine, I came here to swim anyways,” I reply, laughing when he eyes my skimpy swimsuit again.

“That’s not the best suit for swimming, but oh well, it looks good on you. I mean, you look good in it.” He looks like he’s close to death. “Anyways, I’m a huge fan.”

“Oh?” I raise an eyebrow. “You like watching figure skating?”

He nods, his cheeks still crimson, so I decide to spare him for the moment. It probably won’t be a good idea to offer to give him an autograph on his dick. 

“And yes, I know my swimsuit is slutty, but it was the only one I packed,” I add, shrugging. 

“No, no, I didn’t mean…”

I start laughing and he smiles back at me. “Let’s start over,” I offer, throwing my hair over my right shoulder. “I’m Asami, nice to meet you,” I say, reaching my hand towards him.

“Ikuya.” He gently grabs my small hand, covering it with his. 

“Ice skating aside, I bet you and my brother know each other,” I say, smiling.

His eyes become sad for a moment before they harden in a cold, determined manner. “We used to be friends in elementary school.”

I sigh, rolling my eyes. “Seems like my twin brother managed to piss off a lot of people since elementary school.”

“I’ve moved on,” he declares, but it’s clearly not the case. “And I had no idea Haru has a twin sister. He never talked about you.”

I open my mouth, with the intention to continue the discussion, when we hear another’s voice. “Ikuya. I knew I’d find you here.”

We both turn in the direction of the newcomer, but Ikuya doesn’t offer any response. The guy is taller than Ikuya, I notice as he approaches us. He looks at me up and down a few times, but doesn’t acknowledge me in any other way. 

“Ikuya, let’s go, it’s late. You have to rest for your races tomorrow.”

He acts overprotective towards Ikuya, almost stepping between us.

“Your boyfriend?” I ask, my eyes on the auburn haired intruder. 

Ikuya makes a disgusted face and opens his mouth to reply, but the other guys cuts him off. “Who’s asking?”

My lips curl in a smile, my eyes never leaving his. 

“No, he’s not my boyfriend,” Ikuya finally says, stepping away from us. “Happy to meet you, Asami. See you around,” he adds, but his words sound hollow. It seems like he closed himself off after the intrusion. He looks like a different person.

“Ikuya is very busy, I’m sure you understand,” the auburn haired man tells me, adjusting his glasses.

I chose not to reply, I just stare back at him with a blank expression. 

“Hiyori, I’m ready to leave,” Ikuya informs him. He offers me an apologetic look. “I’m swimming the IM tomorrow, if you want to come.”

This time, the auburn haired man makes a disgusted face. “It doesn’t look like her type of place,” he mutters, eyeing my swimsuit again.

“Not quite,” I add, smiling. “My type of place involves ice, not water.”

“I’m so sorry about him. See you tomorrow, Asami.”

Ikuya apologizes again, then grabs Hiyori by the shoulders and drags him away. He whispers something into his ear as they walk away from me. The auburn haired man turns his head again, looking at me in disbelief as he Ikuya drags him out of the swimming pool area.

I’ll just have to learn more about this Ikuya. He seems pretty interesting, to say the least.


	3. Haru's POV

“Strange for you to call me out for a night run. Don’t you have races tomorrow?”

My skin feels electrified when Rin grabs my wrist, signaling for me to stop running. We’re both panting as we drop on a bench in the dark, quiet park that I picked.

“You are worried about something,” Rin says. He doesn’t need to ask me anything, he can read me very well. Not perfect, fortunately. I wouldn’t know how to explain myself if he found out about my stupid little crush, if I were to quote a certain fucker.

“I heard you got yourself a coach,” Rin adds, turning to face me. “An old rival of my coach, isn’t that hilarious?”

I nod, my mind still on fixed on Sousuke. However, when Rin places his palm on my cheek and turns my head towards him, I freeze. I lose myself in his crimson eyes and I hold my breath, trying to steady my heart. I just hope it’s not loud enough so Rin could hear it too.

“Haru, what’s wrong? This isn’t like you at all.”

I shrug with one shoulder, then gently push his hand away. My cheeks are starting to burn and I don’t want him to notice.

“Are you staying with Yamazaki?” I ask, abruptly changing the subject.

“Eh, for the moment,” Rin replies, stifling a yawn. “Sousuke insisted, but I’m planning to move soon.”

“You could, uhm…come stay with me and split the bills and…stuff like that.”

I can’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. What am I, a masochist?

“Asami will leave after the All-Japan Invitational,” I add, clearing my voice. “So after she leaves, you can come live with me.”

Rin looks shocked and I bet my face mirrors his expression. I’ve just asked him to move in with me. Suddenly, the redhead starts laughing, throwing his head back.

“Honestly, Haru…Ask me out to dinner first,” he exclaims, still laughing. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop laughing,” he mutters when he sees me staring at him. “No, but really, that was unexpected. Now that I think about it, though, it seems like a good idea. You’re quiet and except from your long baths, you’re pretty easy to live with, I guess.”

I shove at his shoulder and he laughs again. “What I don’t understand,” Rin says, moving his head closer to mine, “is why you would invite me to live with you when it’s obvious that you prefer living alone.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask, trying not to shiver.

“You hate that Asami is staying with you, that’s why you called me out for a midnight run, right?”

I shake my head. “I don’t hate it. I actually enjoy my sister’s company,” I answer, truthfully. 

Rin hums, brushing a hand through his crimson hair. “Sousuke said something like Asami has a tendency to pick up strays and bring them home with her…”

I grit my teeth in anger. “Yamazaki should mind his fucking business.”

Rin flinches, widening his eyes. “Why did you get all defensive suddenly?”

I let out a sigh, shaking my head. “Forget it, Rin. But I meant it, Yamazaki should really mind his own business. He…”

I bite my tongue, stopping myself in the nick of time. Yamazaki is Rin’s friend, after all.

“He should what?” Rin insists, poking my chest with his fingers. “He should stop running his mouth and preach like he’s better than everyone else?” he adds, chuckling. “You’re not telling me anything new, don’t worry, Haru. I had a discussion with him regarding this subject, which is pretty much the reason why I want to move out of his apartment. That and all the girls he likes to bring with him that are so fucking loud.”

I look at him in disbelief, then shape my lips in a smile. “Still a prude, I see.”

Rin slams his shoulder into mine. “Shut it, Haru. I’ve done some things in Australia…I’m not a prude anymore,” he replies, blushing and looking away. 

“Oh?” I’m suddenly curious. “What things?”

“You know what, you fucker, I think it’s time you fucking go to sleep and leave me the hell alone,” Rin mutters, grabbing onto my forearm to force me to stand. “Come on, let’s go and stop running your mouth.”

I look away, not wanting to let him see the grin on my face. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Where have you been?” I ask Asami, taking in her wet, tangled hair.

She waves my access card, then drops it on the small table in the living room. “Sorry, but not actually. I met a hot guy at the pool. He got me all wet,” she replies, throwing her hair over one shoulder.

I shudder and pass a hand over my face. “Please, don’t.”

“How about you?” she retorts as she sits on the sofa. She throws a hairbrush into my hands, then wordlessly makes puppy eyes at me until I let out a sigh and relent. 

“Turn around,” I mutter as I sit beside her on the sofa. “I went out for a run.”

“Alone?”

I hesitate only one second before I say “yes”, but it’s enough for Asami to know I lied. Still, she says nothing, just looks at me for a few seconds, a knowing smile on her lips.

“I can’t wait to see you swim free tomorrow,” she tells me, closing her eyes, a different smile on her lips. “It’s been so long since I got to cheer for you.”

I hum as I keep brushing her long hair, patiently untangling it. Asami rests her forehead on her arms, sighing in content. “Five more minutes and then I’ll let you go to sleep. I’ll make it up to you in the morning.”

“Sure,” I reply, rolling my eyes behind her back, knowing that she’ll beg for five more minute a few times.

~~~~~~~~~~

The smell of mackerel and fresh toast wakes me up. For a second, I think I’m still dreaming or something, so I decide to sleep some more. It’s not like I heard the alarm clock, there’s still time.

“Good morning!” Asami exclaims as she opens my bedroom door. 

Before I can fully register what’s happening, I watch her through half closed eyelids as she graciously jumps, throwing herself on top of me.

“I cooked you breakfast!” she adds, wrapping her arms around me and shaking me. “Get up, my twin brother, you have races to win today!”

I swear, yawn, swear again, then push her aside, before I get up in a sitting position at the edge of the bed. Asami giggles, wrapping her arms around my waist, hugging me from behind. She rests her chin on my shoulder blades, then playfully bites at the nape of my neck.

I’m used to her behaving like this, only poor Makoto almost had a heart attack a year ago, the last time Asami visited me and acted like this in public. I still remember Makoto choking on his tea, Nagisa yelling and Rei screaming “NSFW!” at the top of his lungs.

“Enough,” I tell her, patting her forearms with my hands. “Smells like mackerel and toast.”

“But of course! Only the best for my brother,” she replies, kissing my nape one last time before untangling herself from me. “I told you I’d make it up to you in the morning.”

I can’t help but chuckle. Unexpected, but not unpleasant.

~~~~~~~~~~

I refuse to focus on Rin, who’s sitting next to Asami. I take a deep breath as I make my way to the lane next to Ikuya’s. No one except my coach knows that I entered the IM and trained for this the whole time. Ikuya gasps, surprised when he notices me take my position by the fourth lane, but I don’t say anything.

We step on the starting blocks, then take our positions, ready to start the race. We all dive simultaneously when the whistle blows and all I can think about is that this is my last chance to make it up to him. What bothers me most is that Ikuya isn’t even angry, he’s just carrying this gloomy attitude and disappointment everywhere he goes, spouting nonsense like “I’m over it. I don’t care anymore. I forgot about our promise.”

But I didn’t forget. I’ve just been too caught up in my own shit with Rin to realize that I’ve hurt Ikuya. I best convey my feelings when I’m swimming and this is the only reason I decided to enter the IM. I don’t care if I win, lose or tie with Ikuya. I just want him to understand what I want to tell him.

The water doesn’t resist me, I glide through it freely, even though my arms adjust to match the style; first butterfly, then back, followed by breast and eventually freestyle. I put all my power, all my love for water, swimming and my friends and keep swimming. It’s not the fastest front crawl I’ve ever swam, but it’s meaningful.

I can’t believe the race is over when my right hand slaps the wall and I surface, gasping for air as I pull the swimming cap off and remove my goggles. I turn to Ikuya, who’s looking at the screen for a second – I know I’ve lost, I just know – before settling his eyes on my face.

“Haru.” Ikuya offers me a small smile. “I’m back.”

“Welcome back,” I reply immediately, mirroring his smile. “I finally kept my promise to you,” I add, raising my hand and curling my little fingers, just like we did all those years ago.

Ikuya flinches. “You remembered,” he whispers, almost in disbelief.

“I’d never forget,” I tell him, in a serious tone, because it’s the truth. Took me long enough, but I never really forgot about him.

“Haru…”

Tears start forming in Ikuya’s eyes as he throws himself over the lane ropes and wraps his arms around me. I feel them, his tears, dripping hot on my shoulder as he silently cries, calling my name one more time. 

Gods above. I’ll never hear the end of this with Asami, I think as I tentatively pat his back.


	4. Asami's POV

“Can I sit next to you?” Rin asks, sitting down before I can answer.

I snort, then offer him a place, sarcastically waving my hand. “Go ahead, don’t be shy.”

The crimson haired boy chuckles as he looks at me. “You’re shockingly similar to Haru. I almost can’t believe it.”

I roll my eyes. “Not like we’re twins, but ok.” I sip from my Starbucks coffee and almost choke when I see Haru leisurely make his way to the starting blocks. “Hey, Rin…correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the IM now?”

He nods, then follows my gaze. “Is that Haru?”

I blink a few times and Rin rubs his eyes. “Seems like it,” I reply. “He swims IMs now?”

The redhead shrugs, then bends forward, leaning with his elbows against his legs. “This should be interesting.”

I don’t look back at Rin until after the race is over, Ikuya wins and he hugs Haru over the lane rope. The crimson haired man is frowning as he takes in the scene in the swimming pool, his fists clenched.

The twin jealousy suddenly hits me and I have a weird impulse to go down there and split them apart, but I shake my head and cool off. Both me and Haru are working on this weird compulsion towards one another – we’re so much better than we used to be when we were little. We now have self control.

“You look jelly, Rin – chan,” I mock him, arching a corner of my mouth in a small smile. 

A few rows over, the auburn haired swimmer – Hiyori, if I recall correctly – drops the water bottle he was holding, as he stares at Haru and Ikuya in the swimming pool. Well damn. What kind of gay soap opera did I just land into?

~~~~~~~~~~

I find Ikuya and my brother in the waiting room, quietly chatting on the same bench, each with a bottle of water in their hands. Ikuya’s eyes are a bit puffy and red around the edges, but he’s smiling and he looks lighter, as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

“Congratulations to the winner,” I say, grinning as I approach them. “Sorry, brother,” I add, laughing as I shamelessly sit on Ikuya’s lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Only the winner gets a kiss from me.”

The last thing I see before I close my eyes and press my lips to his is Ikuya’s shocked face. The first thing I see when I break the kiss and pull away is his bright red cheeks and just as shocked face.

Haru passes a hand over his face, then grabs my arm. “Off,” he orders, his voice low.

Ikuya starts fidgeting. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

The brunet lets out a deep sigh, then turns to Ikuya, his face serious, just like his tone as he says “Don’t let her bully you, Ikuya. Keep in mind, you can always say no to her, no matter what she tells you.”

I pout. “I never bully people, Haru,” I protest as I get up, then wink at Ikuya as I pat his knee.

I grin as I see Makoto and a red haired man approach us. After he introduces himself as Asahi – he, Haru, Makoto and Ikuya were classmates and swam together in middle school – I turn to Makoto.

“The other two friends of mine arrive today and I promised to meet them at the airport, can I borrow your car, Makoto?”

The brown haired man widens his eyes. “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea, Asami. I have a lot of things to do today, after the races.”

I flutter my eyeslashes at him and run my hands along his arms. “Oh, come on, Mako – chan, you wouldn’t let me fend for myself, right? Have you been working out, though?”

Makoto clears his voice. “I didn’t think it showed…but anyways, that’s not what we were talking about! I don’t think…”

He blushed when I stand on my toes, my face close to his. “Don’t think about it, Makoto,” I whisper to him. “Just say yes.”

Makoto looks like he can’t even believe himself when he mutters “Okay, fine,” and Haru face-palms.

“See?” the brunet says. “Don’t be like Makoto, Ikuya. You actually can say no.”

Thr brown haired boy looks away, blushing even harder, so I gently pat his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Makoto, you’re okay. This is why you’ve got a girlfriend and these guys don’t.”

I stuck my tongue out at Haru, who frowns at me and wave to the boys as I take my leave. “I’ll be back for your free, Haru! Win, or else…”

As I walk away from them, I can hear Asahi grilling Makoto over the girlfriend issue.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Don’t hug me,” Yuri mutters, his face buried in the crook of my neck. I press on the back of his head with my hand, muffling his protests even further and Otabek chuckles.

“Welcome to Tokyo,” I say as I wrap my arms around the Kazakh. “I bet you’re tired.”

“Beka slept the whole flight,” Yuri says, before Otabek can reply. He brushes a hand through his blond hair, then muffles a yawn. “I, on the other hand, am exhausted. Drive me to my hotel, slave,” he adds, pointing a finger at me.

The black haired skater winces in apology at me, but I wave my hand. “Let’s go,” I tell them, raising my voice over Yuri’s screaming fans, “before Beka has to save you again.” I wink at Yura as I finish my sentence and the blond looks away, swearing in Russian.

“How’s your brother, Asami?” Otabek asks me as soon as we’re all in the car and safe, away from all those fans. 

“Like usual. He’s competing in the College Championships, which is taking place right as we speak. I got to watch his first race and I’ll go back there as soon as you two are checked in.”

“No need to waste time, Asami, our Japanese is decent enough for that,” the Kazakh replies. 

I shrug with one shoulder. “I’ve got time, it’s fine.”

There’s a few minutes of silence in the car before Yura asks me “So, did you think about it?”

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. “About what?” My voice is too high and shaking a bit, even though I’m pretending I don’t know the subject.

Yuri, however, is not the delicate type. Despite Otabek’s warning look, the blond presses further “About pairing up with Katsudon, like Victor suggested.”

My knuckles are white on the steering wheel and I stare at them for a few seconds. I don’t even want to think about that, but the Russian cat is giving me no choice.

“Coward,” Yura spits out, after I’m silent for too long.

I angrily slam my foot on the breaks, stopping the car so aggressively that I know the blond prick would’ve flown through the windscreen had he not worn his seat belt.

Some other cars honk at me as they pass me, but I don’t even acknowledge them. I just turn and look at Yura, who has no intention to break eye contact.

“Say that again,” I provoke him, switching to Russian. I don’t give a fuck about my accent or whatever. “Say it to my face.”

“Fine,” he replies, grinning at me. “Tрус (Trus).”

“You little shit,” I reply, switching back to English. I shake my head as I start the car again. “Fine, you won. I’ll talk to Yuri and Victor after the party, then run it over with Sakamoto.”

Yura hides his smile and I shake my head again. “I wish I were a man and I got to shut you up by snatching all your gold medals.”

“Hmph.” I don’t even need to look at him in the rear view mirror to see his smug grin, I can sense it from his voice. “You never would’ve touched gold if you were competing with me.”

“It’s a wonder you make him shut up, Beka,” I tell the kazakh in Japanese. 

The brunet chuckles and Yuri moves forward. “What did you say?”

“I thought your Japanese was fine, Yuratchka,” I retort, laughing. 

“What did she say?” the blond asks again, this time looking at Otabek. 

“You better study more, Kot,” the brunet replies, turning in his seat and grabbing onto Yura’s neck with one hand. Before the blond can protest, he pulls him forward and presses their lips together.

Yuri pulls away with ruby cheeks and wide eyes, then curls up on the backseat, magically silent.

“Wonderful,” I comment, smiling and Beka grins back at me.


	5. Rin's POV

“I knew I’d find you here.”

Sousuke removes Asami’s water bottle that kept her seat occupied, then sits down next to me. I open my mouth to tell him about Haru’s sister’s spot, but he cuts me off.

“You should be training right now, Rin. The All-Japan Invitational is too soon for you to be wasting time.”

I grit my teeth in anger. “I wanted to watch my friends swim.”

Sousuke scoffs. “You just wanted to ogle Nanase.”

“Look, what the fuck is your problem?” I clear my voice, trying to let go off my snappy attitude. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you, but you’re starting to piss me off, Sousuke. I trained like hell and not even my coach thinks taking a break is bad. He encouraged it, actually.”

Sousuke turns around, looking at my coach chatting up Haru’s and sighs. “Yeah, sure he did,” he mutters before he turns his attention back to me. “I’m just worried about your dream, Rin. I know how important it is to you. I don’t want anything to get in the way, especially not a stupid little crush for another swimmer. He won’t hesitate in competition, he’ll just swim over your dead boy without looking back.”

I remember that every time I watch his competitions, at the end of each one, Haru slaps the wall and resurfaces, gasping for air as he turns to look at the results. There’s not even a hint of emotion on his face when he notices that he wins or loses, he just shakes the water out of his hair and pulls out of the water.

“Whew, just in time.”

Asami is panting and her hair is tied up in a high ponytail; she looks like she ran here.

“Traffic was horrible so I just parked the car somewhere and ran all the way here,” she explains when she sees me staring at her. “Sousuke, you’re in my seat,” she remarks, almost in disbelief. “Who are you here to cheer for?”

“Nanase,” the brown haired man replies sarcastically, refusing to move.

“I’ll sit in your lap if you don’t move,” Asami tells him, matter-of-factly. 

“It’s fine, you can have your seat back,” Sousuke replies, laughing. “I prefer it if you sit in my lap when we’re alone.”

I choke on my water – of course I had to pick that exact moment to drink – but Asami doesn’t seem to have any reaction. She just chuckles and retakes her seat.

“You know I don’t like to sit, stand or walk on someone’s right side, Sousuke,” she mutters, dropping her small backpack on the seat to her left. “You can sit next to Rin.”

“You and your little quirks,” he replies. Sousuke rolls his eyes at her, but he somehow does it affectionately.  
I look at Sousuke, then at Asami, then back at Sousuke and when I turn my head to her again, she says “Yes, we fucked, get it over with.”

It’s Sousuke’s turn to choke on the water and Asami starts laughing. “That’s payback for being rude towards my brother.”

“What have I actually done?”

“You spoke his name sarcastically. It was offensive enough for me.”

“I see that you’re still obsessed with him in a very unhealthy way, Asami. My advice to you…”

“Stick it up your arse, thank you very much. Now shush, dickhead, I want to watch Haru win the 100 m free.”

Asami raises both her arms, waving enthusiastically at Haru when he reaches his designated lane. The brunet waves at her once, shortly and then I swear he stares at me for a few seconds. He’s too far away for me to know for sure, but I just sensed it.

I grab my knees with my own hands, squeezing as I move forward, my eyes glued to Haru. I can almost feel the cool water on my skin, when he dives, then resurfaces after having dolphin kicked and starts swimming. His arms cut the water, his speed amazing as he passes all the other competitors. Kirishima follows him closely and before I know it, both men slap the wall at the exact time. Jealousy slashes at me as I watch the teal haired fucker wrap himself around Haru over the lane rope again, for the second time today. 

Asami gets up and yells some congratulations for her brother and Ikuya, all smiles as she waves her arms at them. Ikuya enthusiastically responds by waving back at her, before both he and Haru exit the pool.

“The 100 m free in All-Japan is going to be a riot,” Sousuke comments, chuckling. “If you don’t lose your head, you can win it, Rin.”

I block my best friend’s comments, concentrating my attention on Haru’s body. I want him. I’ll have him, no matter what.

“What party were you talking about, Asami?” I ask her, without moving my eyes away from Haru.

“Tomorrow night, after Haru’s freestyle relay,” she replies. “My friend, Victor, said I could invite how many people I want, so you’re both welcome.”

“Haru?” I mutter, finally turning my attention to her. 

“Oh, he’ll be there, I’ll make sure of it,” she says, laughing. “I’ll probably have to cook mackerel for him for the rest of my life and beyond, but he’ll come.”

Sousuke pinches the bridge of his nose. “Asami, don’t invite Rin to any party, he has to train. You should probably prepare for the All-Japan Figure Skating Championships as well, right?”

“That’s like two months from now, relax,” she replies, waving a hand dismissively at him. “And I already know what I want to do, the choreo is in my bones already. The music fits my choreo perfectly, the costume will be finished in a few weeks. The make up and hair are already in my head,” she enumerates, wiggling her fingers. “And if you’re worried about Rin, you can come as well.” She pauses, then flashes him a dark grin. “She’s in Tokyo, too.”

Sousuke grimaces. “Oh no, you didn’t.”

“Oh yes, I did. She’s one of my best friends. You better behave, keep it in your pants or use it properly this time. Sayuri is changed woman, apparently.”

I, of course, picked another great moment to drink from my water bottle. This time, however, I don’t choke. I spit the water AND choke on it.

“Who are you talking about?” I ask curiously, as soon as I can breathe again. 

“She’s actually a swimmer. Haru knows her, she’s attending the same university as him, same major and they were high school classmates as well.”

Asami unties her hair, casually brushing her fingers through it and massaging her scalp.

“Sousuke will never admit, but he likes her. Too bad that she and Haru might have a thing going on.”

By the way she’s looking at me as she says the final sentence, I’m aware she knows. She knows about my crush on Haru and she’s teasing the shit out of me. 

I crack my knuckles. “This party sounds like major fun. Sousuke, we’re going.”

It doesn’t take long until it’s Haru’s turn to swim again. This time, it’s the 200 m free and honestly, the race I’ve been waiting for this whole time.


	6. Hiyori's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter after Rainbow Phoenix gave me the idea to include Hiyori more. I hope you like it!  
> Comments are encouraged - they make my day and help me shape my story! So thank you in advance!

I don’t know why I feel like this, since I’ve seen it coming from the moment Nanase stepped onto the starting block. 

After all, Ikuya has been waiting for him all those years.

A drop of water on the top of my head shakes me up a little. I look up, surprised to see the dark clouds and even more surprised that I’ve been so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice them.

I’m a bit ashamed of myself that I made up a lame excuse and left before Ikuya finished his races. It’s hard to always be pushed aside so easily by the one you consider your best friend.

A quiet little meow draws my attention as I approach the campus building. I crouch down when I see the unusually small kitten, completely gray, trying its best to use a discarded potato chips bag to shield itself from the rain.

“Poor cat,” I mutter to myself as I gently push my hand towards the kitten, trying not to frighten it.

The kitten, though it looks small and frail, swats at my fingers with its tiny claws and hisses. I close one eye when the claws scratch my skin, but still I push forward and grab it gently. The cat stares for a few seconds into my eyes, one paw up, as if ready to scratch me again if needed. 

I get up, smiling when the kitten nestles into the crook my neck, curling its little body in a small ball of fur.

“Toono – kun?”

I shudder at the sudden noise, then turn around, my eyes landing on a girl. She’s wearing the uniform of my University, but I have no idea who she is. I take her appearance in - shoulder length black hair, high cheekbones and…light gray eyes. I’ve seen those eyes before.

“Congratulations on winning your backstroke races,” she tells me, smiling.

“You were there?” I ask, genuinely surprised. “Why did you leave? The College Championships aren’t over.”

She shrugs, the umbrella she’s holding moving with her. “I’m not a fan of swimming. I only came for my brother, who fabulously lost to you every time. He’s from another university.”

I wince, suddenly uncomfortable. The girl, however, waves her hand and laughs. “I’m actually happy he lost, he’s too arrogant for his own good.”

I hum, smiling politely at her. I can’t stop looking at her eyes, I badly want to remember where I saw her.

“What do you have there?” she asks, changing the subject as she steps closer. This way, her umbrella is shielding now us both. “Oh, it’s so small!”

“Yeah, I saw it shivering in a potato chips bag and felt bad for it,” I explain.

She gently pets the kitten’s head with the tip of her finger, then looks up at me suddenly. “Your glasses,” she says, pointing to my face.

“My glasses?”

“The lenses are wet. Do you even see anything with all those drops of water?” 

Before I can protest, she removes the glasses from my face and pulls out a cleaning napkin from her pocket. She wipes them spotless, then puts the glasses back onto my face. “Better?”

I nod, dumbfounded. “Thank you,” I tell her, still able to be polite, despite how weird this girl is. I don’t even know her name and she wiped my glasses and honestly that was kinda hot. Okay, maybe the weird one is me.

“You can’t bring the cat into the dorms,” she comments, petting the kitten again. 

“I don’t want to leave it in the rain either,” I mutter, looking down at the gray ball of fur. 

“I can take it,” she offers, motioning for me to give the kitten to her. “I’m technically living with my parents, but they’re mostly away on business trips so they won’t mind.”

I’m surprised at her offer, but give the cat to her anyways. I’m honestly happy it won’t shiver in the rain anymore. The kitten lets out an upset meow when I move it, but then immediately nestles into the crook of her neck, just like it did with me.

Suddenly, the girl starts laughing. “It just hit me. You have no idea who I am.”

I blush and look away, then clear my voice and turn my attention back to her. “I…”

Still laughing, she says “You can come visit the cat only if you remember my name. Since you are the one who found it, I’ll give you credit and consider this your cat as well.”

I honestly want to grab her shoulders and shake her until she tells me her name. Instead, I bite my lip and nod, so fucking ashamed of myself. I’ve had a full conversation with this girl and I don’t even know her name.

“I’m not going to tell you my name. Also, I have very few friends who will be instructed not to give you my name, so don’t imagine this will be easy,” she adds, winking at me. “Oh, one last question. Do you want my umbrella? My Uber is here, so I won’t need it today. You can return it when you come visit the cat.”

I look in the direction of the campus building, who is very close, but like I told her, the races aren’t over yet.

“Please, let me borrow it,” I reply, taking it from her. “Thank you for the umbrella and the cat,” I settle on saying and she waves at me, then starts walking towards her Uber.

I check the time and swear. I’ll have to make a run for it if I want to see Ikuya’s 200 m free.

~~~~~~~~~~

I take my place back among other Shimogami swimmers a little after the 200 m has started. The captain looks at me a few seconds too long, but doesn’t comment anything. 

Nanase wins and he and Ikuya have another moment in the swimming pool. This time though, they just shake hands. Still, I’m jealous. Ikuya never had a heartfelt moment with me while we were swimming. 

He also doesn’t remember meeting me in the US. I wince, thinking about the girl with the light gray eyes that I talked to earlier. A sudden wave of embarrassment hits and I have to pull on my own hair to make it go away.

I follow two of my teammates to the waiting room and out of boredom, I decide to buy myself a bottle of water. I sit at an empty table, shaking my head when they ask me if I’m coming back with them. I just want some peace and quiet.

My thoughts are chaotic, a part of me is still angry and sad because of Ikuya and the other can’t help but wonder who the mysterious girl is. 

“Hiyori.”

I almost choke on my water when Ikuya calls my name suddenly. I didn’t even hear him come in. I clear my voice, taking my time to turn around. His brother asked me to take care of Ikuya, since his health is so fragile, so I compose myself and plaster a fake smile on my lips before I turn to look at him.

“Ikuya, congratulations. You won most of your races, as expected,” I tell him, but my voice sounds hollow even to me.

“Hiyori, I…”

“Ah, here you are.” 

The captain of the swimming team comes in, placing a hand on Ikuya’s shoulder. “You did well, Kirishima. I’m here to ask you one more time if you’d like to be part of the team that swims the freestyle relay tomorrow.”

The teal haired swimmer turns to look at me and I offer him a smile – I’m sure he’s dying to swim a relay against Nanase.

“Only if Hiyori swims with me. I haven’t practiced the exchanges, but if he swims with me, I’ll be able to do it too,” Ikuya replies.

My jaw drops. “What?”

Ikuya takes a few steps towards me, placing both hands on my shoulders and shaking me a little. “Hiyori, please. I know I always rely on you, but let me depend on you one more time.”

I nod, smiling genuinely this time. “Alright, then.”

“Perfect,” the captain says. “Toono, you’ll swim anchor. See you two tomorrow, then. Don’t be late,” he instructs us, then leaves.

Ikuya is still staring at me. “Are you mad? You hate relays or something?” 

I shake my head and he wraps his arms around me, making me flinch. “Thank you. I really wouldn’t be able to swim the freestyle relay without you, Hiyori.”

When Ikuya let’s go, I throw my head and start laughing. I’m laughing at myself and all those stupid thoughts I had and the immature jealousy.

“Hiyori?” Ikuya inquires, raising an eyebrow in concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m okay now.” I get up, motioning to my water bottle. “Want one?”

“Sure,” he says, still eyeing me suspiciously. “Did something happen?”

“Actually, yes, something really weird happened to me today,” I reply, offering him a water bottle and picking up the umbrella. “I’ll tell you everything on our way home,” I add, as we start making our way out.

“Ikuya, Hiyori, good job today,” Natsuya, Ikuya’s older brother, tells us when we exit the building. 

He swings his arms over our shoulders, pulling us closer to him. “Hiyori, thank you for looking out for my little brother.”

Ikuya elbows him in the side. “Tear up and I’ll actually hit you.”

“Idiot,” Natsuya mutters. “When did I ever tear up?” he complains, shaking his head so that his hair covers his eyes. “I never tear up, got it?”

The teal haired boy rolls his eyes, but a small smile tugs at his lips.

I like this new Ikuya, that expresses positive feelings more. I’m looking forward to being friends with him, too.


	7. Haru's POV

I gasp as I break the surface and decide not to turn around at first. I take my time as I remove the goggles, letting them drop around my neck, then pull my swim cap off and brush a hand through my wet hair.

“Haru, congratulations.”

Ikuya reaches his hand towards me, over the lane rope, smiling. I take it, squeezing it lightly and bow my head shortly.

“You didn’t look, did you?” he asks me, chuckling. “That’s so like you.”

I shrug with one shoulder, then turn my head and look at the results. I can’t help but smile when I see that I came in first. It’s my last race for today, then tomorrow I’ll have to do my best in the freestyle relay. It was an unusual decision for the captain to assign me as anchor, since I’m a first year student, but he waved off everyone that had something to say about the matter.

Ikuya came in second, but his time still qualifies for All-Japan, so he’s not upset about his position. I’m usually unfazed by competitions, but today, for some reason, I’m feeling some kind of nervous excitement about winning the 100 m and 200 m free. I’m also worried about the 50 m free. I barely had the qualifying time for All-Japan, even though I came in second.

I shake my head as I pull myself out of the pool, trying to clear my mind on the way to the locker room. Asami won her first gold when she was sixteen and it was also the first time she competed as a senior. She never complained, never worried out loud. 

“Haru Haru Haru!”

A black haired hurricane wraps herself around me as soon as I step outside the locker room, my hair still damp. 

“You were amazing, I loved watching you swim! I’d make you swim again, just for me, if I knew you weren’t tired,” she tells me, her face buried in the crook of my neck. 

I curl my lips in a small smile as I wrap one hand around her waist. “Thank you, Asami.”

As soon as she lets go, Rin swings one arm around my shoulders. “Not bad, Haru. But not good enough to beat me, you know?”

I snort, then remove his arm. “Why wait until then? Let’s settle it right now.”

Rin grins. “Aren’t you tired, Haru?”

“No, not at all.”

Asami moves between us, taking us both by the arms. “Knock it off, you too, because I can’t bear to stay like this for too long,” she says, wincing at Rin, who is to her left. “How about we go to Haru’s apartment and I can cook something delicious for you, hm? How is that?”

She lets go of our arms, taking a few steps back so that no one is on her left. Asami breathes a sigh of relief, then throws her hair over one shoulder. 

Rin looks back at Sousuke, who slowly shakes his head. “Well then, please behave, because I won’t be back that late and I don’t want to be scarred for life.”

“You’re such a prude,” both Sousuke and Asami say at the same time, then burst out laughing together.

I glare at them – mostly at Yamazaki – because this familiarity between them is pissing me off. I pull out my phone with the intention to call for an Uber, but Rin stops me. He casually places his hand over mine, his fingers brushing up against mine as if that doesn’t mean anything to him – it probably doesn’t – but it makes my heart beat faster. 

“Don’t worry about it, Haru. I rented a car for my stay in Tokyo. I’ll drive us.”

I swallow hard and manage a nod. Thankfully, Asami finishes flirting with Yamazaki and approaches us, sparing me the effort of speaking.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I never would’ve dreamed that you cooked so damn well, Asami,” Rin remarks after he finishes his creamy herb chicken. 

“I know, everybody says the exact same thing after they try my cooking,” she replies, chuckling. “I’m not good with sweets, though. Can’t bake a cake for the life of me, no matter how simple the recipe is.”

“Not like we need sweets in our life,” I remark, still savoring my mackerel, rice and miso soup.

Asami bites into her last avocado toast. “There’s more, Rin. Do you want seconds?”

“No, no, I’m full, thank you very much,” he replies, his eyes glued to his phone, one earbud in.

“What are you watching?” I ask, leaning towards him so I can take a peak. My eyes widen when I see a Youtube video of my sister’s free program from last season, when she took gold at the Grand Prix Final.

“Is it porn?” Asami watches us, smiling. 

“It’s you,” I reply as I return to my meal.

“I’m not in any porn, as far as I know,” she says, faking confusion.

“Hilarious,” I comment, staring at her deadpan. 

Avocado toast still in her hand, she crawls to Rin’s left side and leans closer to him, so that she can rest her chin on his shoulder. I push away the spike of jealousy in me, because for fuck’s sake, Asami is my sister.

“Ah, it is me, in all my glory,” she remarks, with sparkling eyes. “It was the first time I choreographed my own free skate. Isn’t it the greatest thing you’ve ever seen?”

Rin snorts. “Considering I don’t watch figure skating and this is basically the first free skate I’ve ever seen, then sure, whatever you say.”

Asami starts explaining the music – which is the soundtrack from the movie Black Swan – the costume – half black, half white, a combination of the costumes of the White Swan and Black Swan in the movie – and the choreo, which starts all cute with a ballet like step sequence and lots of spins, then descends into darkness and madness into the second half of the program. All the jumps and combinations are crammed into the second half and Asami is literally crying, black make up streaking down her face towards the end of the performance. 

“I had to remember in full detail how our pet dog, Tanuki, died when we were twelve, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to cry. I specifically used eyeliner and mascara that were as far away from being waterproof as possible, because I had this image in my mind with me crying black tears at the end of the program.”

“That’s actually amazing, now that you’ve explained everything,” Rin replies, smiling. “Show me another one.”

I lean back on the couch, my heart skipping a beat at the sight of Rin smiling so gently at my sister. Without making any noise to distract them, I snap a quick photo of them, then I quietly drag my sketchbook from under a pillow, open it at an empty page and start drawing them. I took the photo just in case I’ll have to finish the drawing later.

A few Youtube videos later, Asami suddenly stops and elbows the crimson haired man in his side. “Look, Haru is drawing us.”

Suddenly, Rin’s cheeks heat up and he gets up. “He’s what? Haru, what the fuck?”

I close the sketchbook, sighing, then push it back under the pillow on the couch. 

“Show me,” Rin demands, approaching me. 

“It’s not finished yet.” Over my dead, mummified body, will I show Rin that specific sketchbook. It has too many drawings of him, how the fuck will I explain myself?

“I didn’t ask that, I said show me.”

I press into the back of the sofa as Rin stops right in front of me, his legs touching mine.

“My friend, Yuri, wants to Face-time me,” Asami suddenly says, breaking the tension a little. “Can you guys wash the dishes, please? I’ll go to my room to talk to Yuri, okay?”

Rin grins at me like a shark. “Sure, Asami. We’ll be just fine.” 

As soon as the door to her room closes, Rin leans forward, grabbing the backseat of the sofa, effectively trapping me between his arms. I swallow hard and raise my eyes to his – nope, can’t do this – then move them to his lips – wrong wrong danger danger – and finally settle them on his collarbones.

“Haru.” 

I close my eyes shut, because he is too close. My heart is beating like crazy and I hope he doesn’t hear it hammering in my chest.

“Show me the drawing, Haru.”

Suddenly annoyed, because he’s doing this just to intimidate me, I raise my head and open my mouth to speak, but Rin cuts me off by grabbing my chin and slamming his lips onto mine.

At the beginning, I just stand there, motionless, eyes wide and mouth agape. However, at the first feel of Rin’s tongue brushing against mine, I snap out of my stupor and start kissing him back. The bastard chuckles into the kiss, then places both hands on my neck, angling my head so he can deepen the kiss.

Rin breaks the kiss too soon and rests his forehead on mine, his eyes settled on mine. 

“Ocean eyes,” he comments, smiling to himself. 

I blink in surprise, not knowing what to say. Rin pulls away and drops down on the couch beside me, grabbing one of my hands. He presses the tip of his finger on my wrist, then starts to slowly move it up my forearm, tracing the blue veins delicately.

“Can you say something so that I don’t lose my mind here?” Rin asks me, his voice gentle.

“Kiss me again,” I settle on saying, after deliberating for almost a whole minute. My mind is incapable of conveying my feelings into words, so I hope that I’ll make him understand everything if he just kisses me again.

Rin lets out a relieved laugh, then presses one hand to the nape of my neck and brings me closer for a second, scorching hot kiss.


	8. Ikuya's POV

I offer Hiyori a hand and help him out of the water. There’s a small feeling of disappointment that our university lost in the freestyle relay to Haru’s, but then again, it should have been expected. Second place is okay, considering it was the first relay for me and Hiyori.

“Asami, how did you get here? Don’t hug me, you’ll get wet.”

Haru rolls his eyes as his sister plants a firm kiss on his cheek, but blushes a bit and smiles after she wraps her arms around him.

Asami introduces herself to Haru’s teammates, winning them over one by one with her smile and hair flips and I can’t help but let out a sigh. 

“You’re staring,” Hiyori tells me, but there’s no hint of malice to his voice. 

At that exact moment, Asami turns around and notices me, so she winks at me and blows me a kiss. I flinch, not used to such behavior, so I look away immediately and try not to think too much about my burning cheeks.

“You’re blushing,” my friend teases me and I groan. “She’s just a girl, Ikuya.”

“You don’t understand,” I retort, walking to the locker rooms with him. “She’s a figure skating gold medalist, aiming for the Winter Olympics.”

The auburn haired man shrugs. “So? You’re aiming for a spot in the Olympic Team as well. There’s not such a big difference between you too. Aside from that, she’s just Nanase’s twin sister. Just think about how weird he is, do you think she’s any different?”

“I admit, I didn’t think about it like that, but I doubt it. Asami seems…”

“Perfect, beautiful, wonderful, amazing, gorgeous?”

We both jump at the female intruder. At least we still have our swimsuits on.

“This is the men’s locker room,” Hiyori informs her.

“Otherwise I wouldn’t have found you here. I came here to invite you to a party tonight, so be grateful,” she replies, looking only at me.

“Ah, I don’t know, we’re going out with our teammates as well…”

“It starts at midnight, so think of it like an after party,” Asami explains, taking out her phone. “I need your number so I can text you the address.”

“I didn’t hear him say yes,” Hiyori says, smiling at her. I also detect a hint of flirting.

“I didn’t hear any of you say no, either,” she retorts, sticking her tongue out and handing me her phone.

I can’t help but laugh – and blush – as I remember her kiss the other day and Haru informing me solemnly that I can always say no to his sister. 

“See you two tonight,” she says, standing on her toes to kiss my cheek lightly, before she takes her phone back and walks out of the locker room.

“Hiyori.”

The auburn haired man lets out the loudest sigh I’ve ever heard. “Wipe that grin off your face. She’s going to eat you alive.”

I swing an arm over his shoulders. “I know. I’ve got a feeling that I’ll enjoy being eaten alive.”

Hiyori chuckles. “So, do you need me to come with you to the party?”

He jumps, startled when I wrap both arms around him and hug him. “Thanks for always looking out for me, Hiyori. I’m sorry for all the times I’ve been so difficult.”

The auburn haired man tentatively places his hands on my shoulder blades. “Are you on a hugging spree? Should I be worried?”

I start laughing and after a second he joins me. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Asami hands me a cocktail – she called it a Hugo – then drops on the leather sofa beside me.

”I know you said you don’t drink, but I made it with less prosecco than it’s supposed to have,” she explains, leaning against the backseat of the sofa and smiling at me.

I hum in response, then take a sip. I’m amazed at how good it is, so I drink half of it before I place the glass on a nearby small table. I hate that I’m just sitting here, tongue tied, with a very beautiful girl looking at me. I know it’s because I’m such a huge fan of hers and I should probably stop thinking about her like that, but I simply don’t know how to do it.

She brings me down to earth by gently tapping my forehead with the tips of her fingers. “Looks like a lot is going on in here,” she tells me, chuckling. “Not your kind of party, it seems.”

“Yeah, I just spent most of my time training so I’m kind of…a little behind with these things.”

Hiyori chooses that exact moment to drop himself on the sofa beside me, pulling a red haired beauty in his arms. He clears his voice, adjusting the position of the girl in his lap. “He’s just upset his lap is empty,” he comments, winking at Asami. 

“Hiyori!” I exclaim, blushing a bit. “Are you drunk?”

Drunk Hiyori is something I’ve never seen before.

The redhead chuckles, then gently takes his glasses off and puts them on. “How do I look?”

“I don’t know, you’re foggy,” he replies, then turns his head to look at me. “No, Ikuya, I don’t think I’m drunk, why do you ask?” he says, unable to hold back his grin.

Hiyori never grins, so it’s kind of creepy.

“Lovely party, Asami,” he comments, his hands moving along the girl’s legs, until they settle on her waist. “Your Hugo is to die for.”

“How many did you have?” the brunette asks him, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“I don’t know for sure, the last time I counted, they were six,” he replies, moving his face close to mine.

I raise an eyebrow at him and he smiles, his eyes dropping to my lips. “Ikuya, I hope you don’t mind, but I prefer kissing her.”

I bawl my eyes out as he starts kissing the red haired girl and Asami laughs next to me. 

“What have I done,” she mutters, leaning into me. “I just tried to be friendly with him, he said keep them coming and…here we are,” she adds, motioning to Hiyori, who very obviously pushes his tongue into the girl’s mouth.

Asami proceeds to brush her hand through my hair, rolling some locks on her fingers. “Do you like to watch?”

I snap my head towards her the second Hiyori’s hand finds its way under the girl’s blouse. “Fuck, no. He’s my best friend.”

She shrugs. “Then, how about…” Her phone starts vibrating and she takes it out. “Sorry, it’s my coach, I have to take this, but please don’t go anywhere, I really wanted to ask you something.”

I nod, my eyes trailing her as she quickly runs to a bathroom, answering on the way. Haru takes her place, sitting on the sofa next to me. “You hate this party, but the Hugo cocktail is good, right?” He stretches his neck, observing Hiyori. “Huh, this one’s a girl.”

I look up at the ceiling, praying I won’t receive any more unwanted information about my friend. Then, I let out a short laugh and say “Agreed,” as if I heard only the first part.

We both look at Victor, the party host, who’s trying to stop Yuri from taking off his clothes or challenging everyone to a karaoke and dance competition. 

“Oh no, you won’t humiliate me again,” the blond Russian skater yells in English, slapping Yuri’s face. “Snap out of it, Katsudon.”

“Haru!” A chestnut haired girl throws herself into Haru’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her chestnut hair is pulled into a high ponytail and she’s dressed just like Asami, in a short black jumpsuit and high heels. She grins, turning her head to Rin, and says “I’ll sing and dance, but if I win, I want a kiss from you.”

“I told you not to drink that vodka,” Haru mutters.

I look up at the ceiling again, cursing myself. How the fuck did I end up in the middle of this? Literally in the middle of things.

I turn my attention back to the brunet, his eyes wide and scared as he notices Rin. Then, before I realize what’s happening, he pushes Sayuri into my lap. The girl giggles and buries her face into my neck, nibbling at the skin there and I flinch, trying to push her away. “What the hell, Haru?!”

It takes me a minute to get rid of her – actually, Sousuke appears out of nowhere and drags her into one of the bedrooms and no, I’m not that naïve to think he only took her there to put her to sleep – and that’s when I notice that Haru is no longer on the sofa beside me. I look around for Hiyori, in time to notice him make his way to the kitchen with the Kazakh skater, both holding empty glasses. He had his tongue down the redhead’s girl only seconds ago…No, forget it, no use to dwell on it. I sigh and pick up my glass again, then lean back into the couch. I’m alone again, finally. 

Grim thoughts immediately find their way into my head. Somehow, everyone manages to fit in and have a good time, but I’m stuck on the sofa, like a sad puppy. I don’t want to be a sad puppy and I’m tired of being alone. I always end up alone. I hate being insecure, yet even at the small inconvenience, I find myself knees deep in my own traitorous mind.

I finish my drink and place the glass back on the small table, then make my way to the balcony. I lean with my elbows against the railing and close my eyes, enjoying the cool breeze for a while. I promise myself that this is the last time I let my grim thoughts and insecurities get the better of me. I’ll take things the way they come at me and try to enjoy whatever I can.

“There you are.” Asami pops up beside me, looking like she’s doing her best no to laugh. She clears her voice, then grabs my shoulder. “I heard you were attacked.”

I raise an eyebrow and she points at my neck. “You have lipstick on your skin.”

I make an attempt to wipe it, but she catches my hand. “No, leave it,” she says, grinning. “It kind of turns me on.”

Gods above, why does she have to make comments like these and why do I have to blush at every single one of them?! I find myself fascinated at her every word or gesture.

“Hold still,” she asks me, tightening her hand on my shoulder as she takes off her shoes. Then, she grabs the railing with her other hand and pulls herself up on it. She spreads her hands as if they were wings and chuckles, balancing her feet on the railing. “Ah, this is amazing.”

I look at her, oddly calm for a second. And then it hits me. I suddenly remember that we’re on the top floor and that she’s probably – most likely – drunk. Carefully, I grab her hips with both my hands and pull her into my arms, forcing her to get off the railing.

“Don’t give me a heart attack,” I accuse her, tightening my arms around her.

She chuckles, then wraps her legs around my waist and I freeze. Oh no, she didn’t. And oh no, I’m getting a boner. And oh no, she’s tightening her legs, she’ll notice.

“Wanna go somewhere with me?” she asks, playfully twirling her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck.

Should I tell her that the bedroom is already occupied by Sousuke and Sayuri? Should I just play it cool? What if she wants us to join those two? Why didn’t I watch that porn movie Hiyori wanted to show me, oh no, oh no, I’m so out of my league in here. I don’t want Sousuke to know I’ve never had sex before. Or Asami. What if she laughs at me? 

What the actual fuck, Kirishima? Get a grip!

“Sure,” I settle on saying. All my ancestors are probably so ashamed right now.

She slowly slides down on my body and I swallow hard, trying to control myself, then she grabs onto my forearms and puts her shoes back on.

“You’ve got your things?”

I pat my pockets and sure enough, my wallet and my phone are in there. “Where are we going?”

“I need your expert opinion on something,” she replies, a mysterious smile on her lips. She pulls out her phone, checks something, then looks back up at me. “The Uber is almost here. Let’s go, Ikuya,” she says, picking up a small backpack that I didn’t notice before.

No one pays any attention to us as we stroll through the apartment and make our way to the door, some have mysteriously disappeared and others are just chilling or talking, drinks in hand.

“I wonder what’s it like inside your head,” she tells me when we’re in front of the elevator doors. “You seem to be spending a lot of time in there.”

I’d be dying of embarrassment if she knew what I’d been thinking about earlier, about joining Sousuke and Sayuri, so thank the gods above that’s not possible. I let out a short laugh and brush a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry about that.”

She shakes her head and the movement makes her long ponytail slide off her shoulder. “No, I like that about you. It makes me want to know all yout thoughts.”

I smile and grab at her ponytail and let the hair flow between my fingers. Then, without thinking too much about it, I untie it and ruffle her hair a bit, letting it cover her shoulders and back.

Asami says nothing, just bites on her bottom lip as she waits for the elevator. As soon as the doors open, though, she grabs my hand and walks inside, pushing me into the metal wall. My hands automatically go to her hips, just like earlier when I made her come down from the railing and I lower my head.

“Just kiss me already,” she demands, impatiently standing on her toes and pressing her lips to mine. She also slams her hand on the control panel, pressing more than half of the floor buttons.

Thankfully, I’ve kissed girls before, so I’m not that inexperienced. I wrap one arm around her waist, pulling her closer as I deepen the kiss, my tongue gliding over hers. I move the other hand to the back of her head, burying it into her silky locks before I pull at it a little. Asami moans into my mouth and that’s it, I can’t control myself anymore.

Asami curls one leg around mine, leaning into me as she breaks the kiss only to capture my bottom lip between her teeth. She bites on it, hard, surely leaving a mark, and that turns me on even harder. She unbuttons my shirt, revealing my neck and the lipstick that’s still there. She looks at the stain for a second, before wiping at it with her thumb. Then, Asami presses her mouth on the exact same spot, sucking on the skin there before grazing it with her teeth.

That’s honestly the sexiest thing I’ve ever had done to me.

When she’s satisfied, she raises her head and looks at me, proud of herself, her lipstick a bit smudged. I grab her nape again, angling her head so I can kiss her again, my other hand gripping at her hip with bruising pressure.

The last ding of the elevator ruins the mood and I reluctantly break the kiss. We get off the elevator and stop in front of the doors to make ourselves presentable again. I move my thumb over her lips, trying to wipe away the remaining lipstick, even though I like this disheveled version of her.

Asami doesn’t break eye contact as she parts her plush lips and bites on my thumb. I tighten the grip on her hip as a warning and she lets go, a huge grin on her face.

“Where did you get this small scar?” she asks me, softly tracing the small white line on the left side of my jawline.

“I don’t even remember my own name right now and you want me to tell you about that scar?” I’m not going to tell her the story even if she threatens me. It’s too embarrassing to admit that a small chihuahua bit my face when I was young and left me with a scar.

The raven haired girl giggles, then starts buttoning up my shirt and smoothing my jacket. “There,” she says, smiling. “Now let’s go, the Uber driver is probably foaming up at the mouth.”

I nod, then take off my jacket and put it around her shoulders, before I take her hand. “Might be chilly outside,” I comment.

Her eyes widen in surprise, then she blushes. She actually blushes. I love that she can slam me against the wall and bite my lip confidently, but blush if I offer her my coat.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You want to sneak inside a rink, at 3 am.”

Asami nods.

“To show me your new choreo.”

She nods again.

“Right now.”

A third nod.

I shrug. “Well, what the hell. Why, though?”

“My coach corrects me when I’m doing something wrong, Victor and the others can’t help but offer objective comments on my skating, but I don’t want that. This time, I want you to tell me, as my long time fan, what my performance makes you feel.”

For a second, I think that I’m still at the party, but I’ve probably fallen asleep on that damn couch I’ve spent the entire time on and I’m drunkenly dreaming this. I almost pinch myself, too.

“Where did you learn how to pick a lock? You know what, you don’t need to answer that, I’m good,” I remark, unable to take my eyes off her.

She chuckles. “Otabek taught me. You never know when it might come in handy.”

Asami grabs my hand and pulls me inside, so I have to close the door behind us. I pull out my phone and activate the flashlight, so we don’t fall and break something, then casually make our way to the ice rink as if we didn’t just break into the building at 3 am.

She quickly takes off her shoes and pulls out a pair of skates from her backpack. She takes a pair of earbuds next and hands one to me, as well as her phone. 

“Put this on and hit play when I give you the signal. Then, all you have to do is watch me,” she explains, putting the other earbud in.

Asami ties up her ice skates, then walks until she reaches the ice. She closes her eyes as she starts gliding, taking a few turns as she warms herself up. Then, she stops in the middle of the ice rink and starts wrapping her long hair in a tight bun. As soon as she’s finished, she looks at me and blows me a kiss.

I play the music on her phone and secretly start recording her with mine. This oportunity is too good to pass up, I have to preserve this moment.

Asami takes a deep breath, then positions herself. She looks down for a second, curving her arms elegantly and spinning in place, before she starts gliding on the ice. Not even thirty seconds into her program, she makes her first jump, a triple Lutz, that she lands perfectly, followed shortly by a triple Salchow, triple Loop combination.

I’ve seen all her competitions, not once considering that she’s Haru’s twin sister – in my defense, the name Nanase is quite common – or that I could ever be able to meet her. Last season, when I watched her Black Swan program, the choreo so dark and maddening, I though I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

This time, though, she’s elegant, all her movements remind me of geisha. I can almost picture her skating among sakura trees, with pink petals flying all around her. That’s when it hits me. I’ve heard this music before, I know this compilation.

I watch her perform a double Axel, putting a lot of power behind that jump, but still able to bow like a geisha after she lands it. I think I know where I’ve heard the music. The song that starts as she performs a double Axel, triple Toeloop, double Toeloop combinations confirms it. The music is a compilation made from the soundtrack of the movie Memoirs of a geisha. That song, Sayuri’s Theme, always brings tears to my eyes when I remember how much I loved that movie. 

Without showing any sign of fatigue, Asami jumps again, landing her third combination of triple Flip and double Toeloop, then again a triple Loop. She’s added a lot of jumps in the second half of the program, hunting for points, but I’m just amazed at the choreo itself. 

Asami furthers her performance with a powerful step sequence, spinning and gliding as the music becomes more and more dramatic. She ends the program with a combo spin 4, lifting her arms as if to present herself just as the music stops.

She unties her hair immediately, massaging her scalp as she takes deep breaths, controlling her intake of oxygen so as not to gasp for air. Asami turns to look at me and slides leisurely towards me.

“So, what do you think about it?” Her smile falters when she notices my tears. “Ikuya?”

I wipe at my eyes with the back of my hand, then slide both phones into the pockets of my jacket and open my arms. “It was the best thing I’ve ever seen. I feel like I can die in peace right now.”

Asami lets out a relieved chuckle, before she picks up the pace, skating fast until she reaches the edge of the rink. Then, she throws herself into my arms and I hug her tightly, still in disbelief about all this.

“You filmed me,” she says, as she pulls away from me. “Show me.”

I comply, pulling out my phone and showing her the video. Asami watches it, her face emotionless, until the double Axel in the middle of her performance. She presses pause, then taps on the display with her nail.

“My intention is to make this a quadruple Axel,” she informs me, her eyes glued to the screen. “No figure skater to date has landed the quadruple Axel in competition and I intend to be the first to do it. Then I’ll shine at the Winter Olympics as well.”

It’s like she’s a different person. She’s determined and her eyes are cold as she speaks. She’s not hoping to make a wish come true, she’s setting up a new goal for herself. 

“Can you show it to me?”

Without replying, Asami goes back on the ice. She takes a deep breath, before she starts skating, faster and faster until she jumps with as much force as she can muster, then spins four and a half times. She falls, but before I can even blink, she’s already up and getting ready to jump again.

On her fourth try, she manages to land it somehow, but she trips. She yells out some swears, then starts skating again. It’s the sixth time that she manages to land it perfectly, her body arched as she performs the geisha bow from her choreo as well. 

Asami drops to her knees, gasping for air and I carefully walk on the ice until I reach her. I crouch next to her and cover her shoulders with my jacket. 

“That was the quadruple Axel, Ikuya. Imagine if I manage to land it enough times to convince my coach to let me add it into my program.”

She gets up, still panting and looks at me. “My stamina is great, fortunately, I can train longer than my coach, so I think I can pull it off.” Asami offers me a smile. “What do you think? Should I do it? Will you come see my Grand Prix Final program if I do it?”

I smile back. “I think I’ll come see you no matter what you decide to incorporate into your free skate. What about the short program?”

“Go back out there and get ready to play this song,” she replies. “And don’t forget to record me,” Asami teases, sticking out her tongue at me. “My coach choreographed this for me and the song is currently his favorite. You can’t even imagine how many times I’ve had to listen to this on repeat.”

I check the song when I’m back on non-slippery surface, it’s Edwin Marton’s Art on Ice. 

“Ritsu choreographed a man’s short program for this. I’m also going to wear one of his old costumes for this one. We want to shock the judges,” she says, chuckling. “You can press play, love.”

I try not to melt all over the floor when she calls me that. I’ve done enough unmanly things for tonight.


	9. Sousuke's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smutty chapter ahead!

I have a sudden, burning desire to punch Nanase in the mouth when I see Sayuri crawling on top of him. I’m tired of seeing people chose that fucker over me, all the time. Rin. Sayuri. Over and over again.

I absent mindedly rub my shoulder, feeling a dull ache. I grit my teeth when I see her provoke Rin, acknowledging him as a rival for Haruka. She doesn’t spare one glance for me and it hurts. It’s almost comical to watch Nanase push Sayuri into Ikuya’s lap when he notices Rin, who very forcefully drags him into the bathroom. I hate to see my best friend compromise himself this way, losing sight of what’s actually important for him. I would be the first one to suggest him to fuck Nanase’s brains out if that helped Rin get over his stupid crush, but it’s no use. Rin doesn’t work this way, he lets his feelings get the better of him.

I can’t resist anymore. My head explodes when I see Sayuri burying her face in the crook of Ikuya’s face. I’m going to break something if I don’t intervene. To hell with everything.

I stomp over to the sofa, grab Sayuri and pull her off Ikuya, then make my way to the nearest bedroom. I don’t even knock, I just bust the door open – thankfully, the room is empty – then throw Sayuri on the bed.

She’s drunk and giggly, but she manages to turn on her back and look up at me as I lean with my hands on the edge of the bed, trapping her between my arms.

“You finally looked at me,” she murmurs, grinning as she places both hands on my neck.

I blink, surprised. “What?”

“This whole party, you ignored me like the asshole you are.” She shakes her head, then smiles as she starts to unbutton my shirt. Sayuri lets out a short whistle when she places her palms on my chest, her fingers splayed over my skin. 

I swallow hard, trying to control myself and keep still. “You seemed to have a lot of fun with everyone, Sayuri. I just didn’t want to disturb you,” I say.

The chestnut haired girl rolls her eyes, then lifts her head and presses a kiss right between my pecs. I swallow again and her eyes follow the movement of my neck, before she presses a kiss there as well.

“I’m running out of lipstick,” she comments, giggling. “The second stain is fainter, I don’t like this,” she mutters to herself.

Suddenly, she grabs my shirt and pulls me on the bed, then I let her straddle me. My hands automatically go to her thighs, squeezing her hips next, both to support her drunk ass and to keep her still. I’m already hard and I don’t want to stop her little game. 

Sayuri takes out a black lipstick and applies it to her lips slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. She lets her hands travel all over my chest, then move them to my abs, grazing the skin there with her nails.

“I like your body,” she comments, bending down to press a few kisses on my abdomen. Then, she lets out a sigh and begins to get up. “I’m not doing this again,” she mutters, suddenly sobered up. 

I grab her by the waist and push her on the bed, face first, then grab both her wrists and pin them with one hand. I use my other hand to part her legs and make space for myself, then I kneel on the bed, between her legs. Sayuri struggles a bit, her head turned, eyes fixed on mine.

“You think I’m letting you leave after turning me on?” I ask, slowly lowering my head until I can grab the zipper of her jumpsuit with my mouth.

“I know your style, Sousuke. Tomorrow you’ll pretend that nothing ever happened, just like last time.”

I hum, then unzip her jumpsuit all the way done. My breath quickens when I notice she’s not wearing a bra, then I lick my way back up to the nape of her neck. Sayuri gasps, arching underneath me, then lets out a whimper when I bite her sensitive skin.

A yelp escapes her mouth when I slap her butt, my palm kneading on her buttock to sweeten the sting she surely felt. Sayuri begins to struggle again, harder this time and yells “Ask me out on a date!”

I freeze, unable to process what she just said. I shake my head, taking my time before I release her hands and help her turn around. I moan when she wraps her legs around me and arches her back, pushing her hips into mine. Her lips curl into a smile when she feels how hard I am, then repeats “Ask me out on a date, Sousuke.”

“What about Nanase?” I blurt out, my jealousy getting the better of me. 

She raises an eyebrow. “You really want to go there? Want me to ask you about Asami or Rin?”

“I never fucked Rin,” I reply, looking away. That one kiss never mattered, Rin rejected me, I accepted and we made peace. “And I didn’t know you and Asami were friends, so that wasn’t intentional.”

“I met Haru before I knew you, too,” she retorts, tightening her legs. “You just disappeared on me, left to the US and never called back. And then you came back and hooked up with pretty much everyone, beside me.” Sayuri shakes her head. “It’s not that you don’t like me, you’re crazy about me, I can see it in your eyes.”

I grit my teeth, debating whether to make up a cheap lie or just tell her the truth. Usually I keep things to myself, but I think it would be disrespectful for Sayuri, since she had the courage to speak.

I sigh, getting up and sitting at the edge of the bed, motioning for Sayuri to join me. The chestnut haired girl kneels behind me, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me from behind. “Tell me everything, I can take it, Sousuke,” she says.

I grab her forearms with my hands. “I thought I was in love with Rin,” I admit and she hums, as if it’s nothing new for her. “But then I realized it was only my ambition to obtain everything I wanted. I met you when my life had started to fall apart because my shoulder had begun to betray me, so I panicked and left to the US. I pretended nothing was happening to me, I trained like I shouldn’t have, desperate to make my dream come true, but my shoulder failed me completely. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything and I know I was wrong because the only good thing I remember about that time is you.”

Sayuri tightens her arms around my neck and I can’t help but smile.

“I lost my mind when I heard about you and Nanase,” I confess, shaking my head. 

“Haru likes someone else, just like me,” she says, kissing the nape of my neck. “We just killed time together, because we realized we were simply just friends.”

“I have no idea how you ended up with him, of all people,” I comment, gasping in surprise when she bites me.

“You’re the only one who doesn’t get along with Haru,” she mutters. “Good thing you’re such good friends with his sister,” she adds, biting me again. “Lucky for you, I trust my best friend so I know you’re telling the truth when you say it’s all in the past.”

“You don’t trust me?” I ask, chuckling.

“Not before you ask me on a date,” she replies. 

“What the hell, I haven’t asked a girl on a date in a long time,” I reply, still laughing. “Sayuri, do you want to go on a date with me?” I offer, turning my head to look at her.

“I don’t like questions,” she immediately retorts and my smile falters.

“What?”

“I said I don’t like questions.”

“You told me to ask you out on a date. I’m confused,” I comment, staring at her. “Are you still drunk?”

Sayuri shakes her head, her expression serious as she says “Ask me out on a date.”

I blink in confusion and take my time to think about it, before I say “Let’s go out on a date.”

The chestnut haired girl ponders for a second, then shakes her head again. “That makes me feel like you want to go out as friends.”

Suddenly angry, I grab her and pull her in my lap, my hands squeezing her hips. “Come with me on a date, Sayuri,” I growl and she chuckles, clapping her hands in my face.

“There. I wanted Sousuke back.”

“You little punk,” I mutter, one of my hands gripping her nape as I pull her down for a kiss. My lips slam onto hers as I tighten my hand on her hip and she whimpers when I pull her bottom lip between my teeth and bite onto it hard. 

She places her palms on my chest, pushing me down on the bed without breaking the kiss, moaning in my mouth when I press her even harder on me, rubbing her body on my erection. 

In a flurry of motions, a switch our positions, pulling her underneath me again, just like earlier, when she stopped me for some casual conversation while my dick was painfully hard. I squeeze her breasts through the material of her jumpsuit first, then remove the clothing and grab onto them again. I cover her mouth with mine, swallowing her moans as I capture her nipples between my fingers, pinching the tight buds.

My eyes widen when I finally remove her jumpsuit completely and find out she’s not wearing underwear. At all. I lick my lips as I lower myself on the bed, kissing my way down to her abdomen. Just before I reach her sweet spot, I raise my eyes to look at her and order “No sound, or I’ll stop.”

I wait for her to nod before I lower my head between her legs, my mouth closing around her clit and sucking right from the beginning, Sayuri arches her back, slapping a hand over her mouth to muffle her screams and I continue my ministrations, licking at her slit.

I grab one of her legs, swinging it over my shoulder, the movements of my tongue become faster. Sayuri pushes her heel into my back, thrashing underneath me as I tease her entrance with my tongue. A quiet moan escapes her mouth when I push a finger inside of her, but I let it slip, I’m having too much fun.

I add a second finger and she tightens around them, pushing her head back and whispering my name as the waves of pleasure hit her. I get up and let my pants slide, not even bothering to take them off completely as I thrust into her, sheathing myself completely in one swift motion.

Sayuri lets out a loud moan, hooking her legs behind me, her whole body shaking. “Sousuke,” she whimpers, grabbing onto my unbuttoned shirt to pull me down. She wraps both arms and legs around me tight, keeping me in place as she adjusts to me, so I capture her lips in a slow, languorous kiss as I start to tentatively roll my hips.

“I’ve missed you,” I tell her between kisses. I’ve been an idiot ignoring her for so long because of my stupid ego.

I lick the side of her neck and graze her skin with my teeth and she tenses. “No marks there, Sousuke, I’m having lunch with my parents tomorrow,” she warns me and I start laughing.

“Can I mark you somewhere else?” I ask, rolling my hips hard into her.

Sayuri gasps, barely able to nod as I pick up the pace. I get up in a sitting position, pulling her up with me as well. The chestnut haired girl yelps in surprise, immediately wrapping her arms around my neck and I circle her waist with mine, keeping her in place as I thrust into her again.

I bury my face between her breasts, licking and nibbling on the soft skin as I push into her in slow, hard thrusts. I press my lips on the top of her left breast, kissing the spot before I start sucking on the skin. Sayuri throws her head back, yelling when I sink my teeth into her soft flesh, accompanying that small pain with a particular hard thrust.

Sayuri runs one hand through my hair, tangling her fingers into it and pulling my head back up, hungrily kissing me. I’m gripping her shoulders with bruising pressure as I thrust into her harder and harder, losing my head when I feel I’m close. 

I move my hands to the small of her back, angling her body so I can slide in even deeper, my rhythm erratic as I push into her faster and faster. Sayuri tenses around me, her nails sinking into my forearms as she throws her head back, moaning my name as she comes again. I bury myself into her one last time, pressing her body onto mine as I find my release.

I let myself fall back on the bed, pulling her on top of me and wrapping my arms around her. I press a soft kiss to her temple and Sayuri giggles.

“That was intense,” she comments, face buried into my neck. “Let’s do it again.”

“How about we go to my apartment before the host throws us out butt naked?”

She shrugs. “You know I’m not a prude.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t want to get into a fight tonight with some guy ogling you, princess, so how about you put your clothes back on?”

Sayuri fakes a quiet snore and I roll my eyes again. “I know you’re not asleep. Want me to dress you?”

She hums and I sigh, then try to get up with her still in my arms. It takes me a while to put her stubborn ass back into her jumpsuit, then I kneel in front of her. I gently take one of her legs, slowly moving my fingers along her taut calf, distracted by the addictive feeling of her skin. I lower my head, peppering kisses all over her calf before I sink my teeth into her skin, making her yelp.

“Sousuke!”

“Sorry,” I apologize, chuckling as I put her shoe on. 

I do the same to her other leg, then stand and begin to put my clothes back into order again. I was so eager to have her that I didn’t even take my shirt off.

“So, how do we exit a room after moaning and yelling in here for…” Sayuri checks her phone. “Forty five minutes?”

I grab her hand. “The same way we came in, me dragging you after me like a caveman.”

Her laughter is music to my ears.


	10. Rin's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M/M smut ahead!

I feel like breaking something when Sayuri sits in Haru’s lap and stares right into my eyes as she tells him “I’ll sing and dance, but if I win, I want a kiss from you.”

I’m not angry that Haru and Sayuri might have hooked up in the past – or present, for all that matters. I’m mad because of how good they look together. And normal.

Haru notices me right that moment and he panics, pushing Sayuri into Ikuya’s lap. The girl giggles, as if it’s all a game to her and buries her face into Ikuya’s neck, who flinches and exclaims “What the hell, Haru?!”

The brunet ignores him and takes a step towards me. “Rin, I…”

I don’t let him finish. I grab his hand and quietly, but firmly drag him into a nearby bathroom and push him against the door after I close it behind us. I slam my forearm above his head and lower my head, our lips almost touching.

“Are you trying to get on my nerves, Haru?” I ask him, my voice a low growl.

“I didn’t know she’d do that,” he replies, placing a hand on my chest and trying to put some distance between us. “Why are you so angry?”

“Did you fuck her?”

Haru’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t respond. I curl my lips in a smile, then grab his belt. “I’m waiting, Haru. Impatiently, I might add.”

The brunet sighs, looking away. “Why ask a question you already know the answer to?”

“When was the last time you fucked her, then?”

He swallows hard, then turns his attention back to me. His deep blue eyes stare into mine and a playful smile shapes his lips as he says “Last week.”

I brush a hand through his hair, grabbing it roughly as I pull his head back, exposing his neck. Haru gasps and looks scared for a second, his eyes settled on my teeth. I lick my lips and he shivers, then I push my other hand underneath his shirt, feeling his abs.

“As much as the freaky part in me likes the show, I have to stop you right there, Rin, before you do something to my brother that I’ll never be able to unsee.”

Haru tenses, his face pale and I turn towards the voice. Asami is sitting on the window sill, staring right at us in amusement. 

“How long have you been there?” I ask her, my voice hoarse. I think I blushed all the way to my forehead.

“In my defense, I was here first. I was talking to my coach, when you guys burst in through the door and started your little jealousy game.” She jumps down from the window sill and puts her shoes back on. “Which, don’t get me wrong, was hot as hell, but I can’t keep you company any longer, out of respect for my brother.” She casually walks towards us, as if I don’t have a hand underneath his shirt and I’m not pulling his hair. “Can I go out now? I’ve got a certain IM swimmer to devour myself.”

I clear my voice and step away from Haru, who stares at the floor as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world while he moves away from the door.

Asami smiles at him, then plants a soft kiss on his cheek before she leaves, without speaking another word to any of us.

My anger and jealousy from earlier have evaporated and all I feel is shame. I expect Haru to leave after his sister, but he stays there, still looking at the floor. I clear my voice and place my hand on the top of his head, gently ruffling his hair. “I’m sorry, Haru. I was clearly out of line.”

“Me and Sayuri have never been together. We’ve only…” Haru pauses, raising his head to look at me. “You know.”

“I’m sorry I reacted this way, it’s not like I haven’t had my share of fun in Australia.”

Haru winces. “Yeah, I probably don’t want to know about your fun in Australia. How about we don’t go there?”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Deal.” I lean with my back against the sink. “So that’s why you and Sousuke hate each other? Because of Sayuri?”

Haru looks at me like am in idiot, then closes the distance between us. “I don’t want to talk about them.” He places his hands on my hips, a bit unsure of himself. “I’d prefer it if we don’t talk at all.”

I grab the nape of his neck. “I’m just trying to work these things through. I’ve been gone a lot and when I finally come back, my two best friends are at each other’s neck. I can’t help but think about it.”

Haru rests his forehead against mine. “Don’t think.”

“Yeah. I’m going to do just that.” 

I place both hands on his neck, angling his head, then I kiss him. I lick his bottom lip as he roams his hands all over my back, pressing his hips on mine. 

I lick my way down to his neck, gently nibbling on his skin there, trying my hardest not to leave a mark when Haru asks me “Did you lock the door?”

I did lock it after his sister left, but I decide on a whim not to tell him. I graze his teeth with my teeth, then push a hand between our bodies and start rubbing him through his jeans. He whimpers, his knees shaking when I untie his belt and push that hand into his pants.

“Rin, the door…”

His voice breaks when I start moving my hand and he holds onto me, grabbing my shoulders. I suddenly turn us around, pushing him into the sink. I grip his chin, forcing him to look into the mirror as I press into him from behind, my hand still moving along his length.

“Such an erotic expression, Haru,” I whisper into his ear, before I lick his shell and bite it. 

The brunet grips the sink with both hands. “Rin, please, the door…”

“Imagine if someone were to come in and see you like this,” I continue, my thumb pressing on the tip of his dick. I push into him from behind as well, letting him feel my erection. “You’re so hot, Haru.”

I move my hand faster and faster, my other one still gripping his chin and forcing him to look into the mirror. I want him to see himself as he goes over the edge. 

Haru covers his eyes with one of his hands. “Rin, please…”

“What, Haru?” 

I bite the shell of his ear again, harder this time and he lets out a loud moan. 

“That was too loud, Haru,” I whisper into his ear again. “Someone might hear you and come inside to investigate the noise.”

He catches his bottom lip, biting on it hard to muffle his moans as I roll my hand on his dick. Haru bends forward, hiding his face as he reaches his orgasm and I release his chin, wrapping my arm around his waist to support him instead.

“Is it too late to tell you that the door is locked?” I tell him, chuckling.

Haru lifts his head and stares at me angrily in the mirror. He bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and the sight turns me on. I swallow hard, then rest my forehead on his shoulder. “I want you.”

The brunet tenses. “Here…?”

“We’re going back to your place. Text Asami and tell her not to come home, I don’t care. I want you.” I turn him around and help put his clothes back in order, then run my fingers through his hair. “Haru, give me your phone. I’ll text her,” I say next, suddenly impatient.

The brunet takes a deep breath, then gives me his phone. His hand is shaking a bit, so I gently place mine over his. “Are you okay?”

He nods, but he’s not looking at me, so I grab his chin and lift his head. “I’m sorry I rushed you, Haru. It’s okay if you don’t want to. I got ahead of myself.”

Haru shakes his head. “No, it’s not that. I’m just…nervous.”

I cover his lips with mine, kissing him softly. “Can I text her?”

He nods and I kiss him again.

~~~~~~~~~~

I brush the hair away from his forehead and search his face. “Are you okay, Haru?” I ask him, my voice hoarse. It takes so much effort and self control not to thrust into him the way I want. I’m going mad with lust.

He’s got a hand over his eyes, covering them as he gasps for air when I push inside him a little deeper. 

“I want to see your face so I know I’m not hurting you,” I say as I tickle his palm.

Haru removes his hand, looking at me through half closed eyes. I lean forward and press my lips to his and he swings one arm around my neck, bringing me closer.

I tentatively roll my hips again and he tenses, wrapping his legs around my waist to keep me in place. I caress one of his thighs and he shivers, then I kiss him again. 

“Relax, Haru,” I whisper on his lips and I thrust into him again, this time all the way in.

The brunet throws his head back, whimpering, so I place my mouth on the smooth column of his neck, kissing the skin there. I want to bite the flawless skin and mark him mine, but he forbade me. It frustrates me, even though I understand his reasoning.

“Haru,” I whisper again, grabbing his waist as I start to slowly thrust into him. 

He moans, louder and louder as I pick up the pace, arching his back after a particularly hard thrust. I lean forward, bending one arm so I can cradle his head as I thrust into him. I slip my other hand between our bodies, gripping his length. Haru gasps, tensing again and tightening around me. I moan as well, my rhythm frantic now that I’m so close.

Haru whimpers and moans when I change the angle and start pushing into his sweet spot, thrashing underneath me and yelling out my name when he finds his release. I thrust into him a few more times, hard as I orgasm too, then I fall forward, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

“Are you okay?” I ask when I’m able to speak again.

I raise my head to look at him and wince when I search his face and notice his tears. I gently wipe his tears away and kiss his left eyebrow, then roll on my side.

“I’m okay,” he replies, smiling when I kiss his temple. “It just hurts a bit,” he admits, grimacing when I pull him into my arms. “But I liked it, too.”

I chuckle, relived, then capture his lips in a loving kiss. “Want me to carry you to the bathroom?”

“I’ll hit you if you try,” he immediately answers, frowning at me.

“Okay, okay,” I reply, laughing, then I kiss him again. “Sorry.”

Haru sighs, then buries his face in the crook of my neck. “I need to rest for five minutes, then we’ll shower,” he mutters into my skin and I hum.

It takes us less than five minutes to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you see any mistakes or typos, feel free to point them out! English is not my first language and I don't notice them sometimes xD


	11. Asami's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love weekends, I get to write how much I want xD

It hasn’t been two hours since I’ve fallen asleep, I’m sure of it, when I’m woken up by someone crawling in my bed. 

After we left the rink, me and Ikuya parted ways. That was the moment I’d usually suggest going to a motel or something, but I didn’t feel like tarnishing our night with cheap sex. That’s why he went back to the college room he shared with Hiyori and I took an Uber back to Victor and Yuri’s penthouse, since I couldn’t go home because of Rin and Haru.

I turn around and I’m greeted by Yura’s shirtless back and ruffled blond hair. I move closer to him and wrap an arm around him as I bury my face in his hair.

“Did something happen?” I ask him, my voice muffled.

“Otabek is a dick.”

I chuckle, then grab the blanket and pull it over our bodies, then I cuddle even closer into his back. “What did he do now?”

“The words I love you slipped out of my mouth accidentally.”

I raise my head to look at Otabek, who’s leaning against the door frame, drinking coffee. His loose pants hang low on his hips and his robe is untied, offering a view of his muscled body. 

Yuri turns to face me, then hides his face into my neck. “That was scary,” he murmurs, before pulling the blanket over his head, completely hiding himself.

“It’s barely 7 am, guys. I came back after 5 am, couldn’t you have waited for your crisis moment after 10 am or something?” I groan.

I muffle a yawn as the Kazakh sits on the edge of the bed, trapping me between him and Yura. I look at him for a second and my eyes widen. “Beka darling, is that a hickey below your belly button?” I ask, laughing. “Yura finally took my advice, I see.”

“I have more,” he replies, grinning. “Most of them are on my…”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Yuri snaps, throwing the blanket away. 

“Oh, I see you’re covered in them as well,” I say, eyeing his chest.

The blond wraps himself in the blanket. “None of your fucking business.”

“Should I remind you that you crawled into my bed at 7 am and your boyfriend followed you shortly after? It sounds like the beginning of a porn movie,” I remark, yawning again. “Anyways, now that I’m up and I have no chance of falling asleep again, how about I go make breakfast?”

“I’ll help you,” Otabek offers.

I wave him off as I get down from the bed and throw a silk robe over my pijamas – that are basically boxers and a T shirt from Victor. “Make up with your cat, Beka.” I bend down to kiss Yura on top of his head. “You’re lucky you’re cute and I love you. Avocado toast?”

“Yeah,” he mutters, not looking at me.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Such a European breakfast, Asami,” Victor comments, leaning back into his chair, smiling. “I would have woken up earlier to help if I knew you were here, making breakfast.”

“It’s fine,” I reply, biting into my avocado toast. It took me about twenty minutes to make coffee and prepare some chocolate porridge and avocado toast for five people.

“Ah, my head,” Yuri whimpers, passing a hand over his face.

Victor smiles, gently ruffling his black hair and bending down to press a kiss to his forehead. “Poor Yuri. His alcohol tolerance is so low.” Then, he turns his attention to the rest of us. “We’re training today.”

I groan, throwing my head back. “I didn’t sleep, for fuck’s sake. And I trained enough last night.”

Four pairs of eyes turn to look at me and I wave my hands. “Not that kind of training. I really mean skating.”

After I finish telling them about me and Ikuya breaking into a rink, Victor says “I feel like I should scold you. Should I?”

“You should let me sleep today, not scold me.”

They boys stare at me menacing this time. “You lazy little bitch,” Yura growls. 

“No, no. Asami, I promised our coaches.”

“I wanted to go to Hasetsu today,” Yuri murmurs, dropping his head on the table.

“Brilliant idea,” I intervene. “Yuri, I’m coming with you. It’s the best place to practice skating together, away from prying eyes,” I add, sticking my tongue out at the blond skater. 

“I want to eat Katsudon too,” Yura complains. 

“Then, it’s settled. Yuri, call your parents and make a reservation for four rooms,” the silver haired skater decides, clapping his hands. 

“There’s five of us,” the brunet remarks.

“We’ll sleep together, like usual, Yuri.”

The blond Russian pinches my side as a precaution, even though I didn’t plan on ratting him out. Yuri is oblivious by nature, but Victor surely already knows about them.

After the breakfast is over, I get up and start gathering the plates, but Beka stops me. “Let me,” he says. 

I nod, then stretch my arms above my head. “I’m heading out, then. See you guys at the rink.”

After talking to his parents, Yuri reserved rooms for us the day after tomorrow, since they didn’t have any rooms available for the moment. That means we’re back to the first plan, training with Victor.

~~~~~~~~~~

I quietly enter Haru’s apartment, then stand motionless by the door. I sigh in relief when no sound can be heard, then drop my backpack on a couch and go to my room. I set my alarm clock, then change into my dear pajamas that actually fit me and crawl into bed. I put some sleep goggles on, turn on the TV and…I’m wide awake. I almost fell asleep during my uber ride, but now that I’m comfortable in my bed, I’m wide fucking awake. 

I toss and turn for a few minutes, then give up. I throw the blanket away, rip my sleep goggles of and get up. I exit my room, planning to make another coffee for myself, because I don’t want to fall asleep while skating and that’s when I see them.

Haru is sitting on the couch with his legs parted and Rin kisses him, before kneeling in front of him. “Don’t look away,” the crimson haired man orders and I wince.

“I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” I settle on replying. “I think I’m cursed. Someone hates me so much that they cursed me to stumble upon people fucking all the time.”

Haru looks mortified, but Rin clicks his tongue in annoyance. “I texted you not to come home.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, you horny shark? You texted me at 3 am, it’s almost 11 am now. How long are you planning to fuck?” I retort angrily.

My brother covers his face with both hands and Rin stands. “I didn’t realize it’s that late. Fuck, I’ll be late, Haru! You too, probably.”

The brunet sighs. “Hidaka and Shimogami Universities have joined practice today, at noon. I’m fine.”

Rin sighs as well. “And we were having so much fun before we were so rudely interrupted.” He manages to duck just in time to avoid the bear shaped cookie I throw at him. “I’ll text you later,” he adds, then bends down to kiss Haru’s lips.

By the time I finish making my coffee and putting it in a to-go cup, he’s ready to leave. 

“Ah, you shouldn’t have,” he teases me, then takes my coffee. “Such a good sister. Bye, Haru!”

He’s out the door before I can protest about my stolen coffee, so I settle on letting out a deep sigh. “So, did you have fun last night?” I ask Haru as I begin to prepare two more cups of a coffee.

Haru groans. “Don’t ask me that!”

“Don’t be such a prude, I walked in on you two twice.”

“No, no, I can’t,” he replies, shaking his head. “You already know and that’s painful enough.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll shut up.” I hand him a cup of coffee. “Truce.” I sit on the couch beside him, relieved that he’s got pants on. “I’m going to Hasetsu with my skater friends the day after tomorrow. I’ve been invited to a charity event, but I can’t go unless I have a partner, so I’ll try skating with Yuri to see if we’re good together.”

Haru hums, then sips from the coffee. “You said you’d never skate in pairs ever again.” He grabs my left hand, gently pressing his thumb over my tattoo. “Are you sure?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, Haru. What are the odds that it will happen again? Yuri is not Masamune.”

He nodds, then lets go of my hand. “When is this charity event?”

“Between Skate Canada and the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow. It’s in Toronto. All gold, silver and bronze medalists from last year were invited, but the rule is that you have to pair up.”

Haru nodds again. “I think I’ll come see you in Canada.”

“You and your adversity to travelling?” I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. Come to Barcelona, for the Grand Prix Final. Watch me win gold again. It’s better for you, as well, since you’ve already been in Barcelona.”

I swing an arm over his shoulder and pull him closer, kissing his cheek. “Share an uber with me? I have to go to train with the others as well and the rink is a five minutes walk from your Uni.”

“Okay.”


	12. Hiyori's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Tsukki, for reminding me about Asahi and Kisumi <3

I yawn as I get out of the Uber, stretching my arms above my head. The trip was long enough for me to nod off – those damn Hugo cocktails. Ikuya texted me, letting me now he’ll be late, but I saw him leaving the party early with Asami so it’s not hard to imagine what they’re doing. Probably the same thing I would be doing with the red haired girl if I could stop thinking about those light gray eyes.

“Looks like we meet again.”

I jump at the sudden noise, dropping my phone and my card key on the ground. I make no move to catch them, because judging from how wobbly my knees are and how hard my head is spinning, I’m too drunk for such an extreme movement.

“Toono - kun, are you okay?”

I nod carefully, taking my time to turn to her. She’s not wearing the uniform tonight, but a baggy black sweater and tight leggings. I plaster a smile on my face and she chuckles. “Are you drunk? You? The walking definition of discipline and self restraint? Wait, are you even old enough to drink?” she asks me, pushing a strand of black hair behind her ear.

“I’m not drunk,” I declare, looking at my phone, shamelessly sitting of the ground, as if to mock me. “I’ve just…hurt my back during practice and I can’t bend over?”

The girl covers her mouth with one hand, trying to muffle her laughter. “Looks like he can joke as well, not only save lost kittens. Well done, Toono – kun, consider me impressed,” she says, stepping closer to me to gather my phone and my card key. “Did you learn my name yet?” she asks, handing me my things.

I let my head drop, slowly shaking it. “I’m sorry.”

She gently pats my head. “It’s okay, maybe next time.”

“I only have this one lead,” I add, starting to search something on my phone.

She looks at me, suddenly intrigued, then a deep blush spreads over her cheeks when I show her the poster for the movie Memoirs of a geisha, the light gray eyes of the female lead actress extremely similar to hers.

“So you have been thinking about me,” she says, as she starts playing with her hair.

“Mostly about the kitten, but you were there too in, let’s say, ten percent of my thoughts,” I tease her and she rolls her eyes. “How is the cat?”

“I named her Sushi, because I just can’t get her to stop stealing my sushi bites,” she replies. “Too bad you don’t know my name yet so you can’t actually come and see her,” she adds, taking a few steps back. “Until next time,” she says, waving at me just like the first time we met, taking her leave in the middle of conversation.

A sudden pang of jealousy hits me when I realize that it’s 3 am and she’s walking around the campus. I can’t help but imagine her visiting her boyfriend, who’s also living in the same building as me.

Or she might have been in the other building, where the female students live in and exited the campus this way. Yes. That’s better. A bit far fetched, but better.

~~~~~~~~~~

“My head,” I mutter as I wake up, pressing the back of my hand on my forehead.

Ikuya starts laughing and I pull the blanket over my head. “What time is it?” I groan.

“Around 10 am, we should get up if we don’t want to be late for the joined practice. I got home around 5 am and you were talking in your sleep,” he replies, chuckling.

I curse under my breath. I haven’t done that since I was little. “Did I say anything in particular?”  
“I couldn’t understand your mumbling, Hiyori.”

Thank the gods. I push the blanket away and sit on the edge of the bed, dropping my head in my hands. Ikuya follows my lead, getting up and stretching. I raise my head to look at him and turns to me, so that’s when I see it.

“What’s that?” I ask him, on an amused tone.

“Hm?” 

I point to his neck and he turns pale, then runs to the bathroom. He comes back a minute later, his palm covering the big ass dark hickey.

“It’s got teeth marks around it,” he informs me, his eyes wide. 

I would be laughing right now if I didn’t feel like my head would split in two.

He stares at the wall for two seconds, then exclaims “Oh fuck! What can I do about this?”

I shrug. “Own it? It’s not like we’re having a joined practice with the shinto priests.”

“It’s embarrassing, Hiyori,” he complains, shaking his head.

“Well, at least you got her out of your system and you can focus on swimming again.”

“What does that mean?” he inquires, suddenly annoyed.

I hate when he looks at me like that, but I still feel like I should warn him.

“You lost the 200 m free, Ikuya. It’s not like you, you’re not focused. I get that she’s your ice idol or something, but she’ll never sacrifice anything for you. I’ve seen her type,” I explain, regretting my words the minute I speak them. I can’t express myself too well when my head hurts.

“Her type?”

“Cold hearted, focused on her things, flirty, but with no intention to get involved,” I reply, knowing I’ve already doomed myself so it’s no use taking my words back. “You should talk to her about these things before you put your feelings into it, you know.”

“That’s too cruel, even for you, Hiyori,” he tells me, frowning. “Did something happen between the two of you and you hate her or something?”

Hiyori sighs. “I don’t, I actually like her, but it’s you I’m worried about. I know what happens to you when you get disillusioned.”

He shakes his head, his expression softening. “I understand now. I’m okay, Hiyori.”

“It’s not like I’m fond of always being the voice of reason, but someone has to,” I tell him, closing one eye when he wraps his arms around me. “I have to admit, since hanging out with the Nanase twins, you’ve learned basic human socializing, so they can’t be that bad.”

He swears at me and this time I laugh, despite my monstrous headache.

“I met her again last night, when I came home,” I suddenly say and Ikuya raises his head to look at me. “In front of our campus building.”

He sits on the edge of the bed, next to me. “Are you worried she has a boyfriend in this building or something?”

I flinch, half annoyed he pointed it out, half surprised he can read my mind so well. I’m not used to Ikuya paying attention to me like this.

“We should ask around, maybe someone knows her,” he suggests, but I shake my head.

“She already told me she has very few friends and that she’ll inform them about our little game.”

Ikuya snorts. “Then the next time you see her, follow her around until you learn her name. I’ll even come with you, to make you less suspicious.”

We both laugh at the idea and I drop the subject, then make my way to the bathroom to take a shower and hopefully get rid of my grogginess.

The idea is not bad, though I wouldn’t even imagine using it with Ikuya in tow.

~~~~~~~~~~

The first part of the joined practice is taking place at the swimming center inside Hidaka University. We arrive at the same time as Haru, who is accompanied by his sister.

“I’ll cook tonight if you’re tired,” she tells him. Then, she notices us and her face lights up with a smile. “Ikuya!”

Before I even blink, she jumps at Ikuya, wrapping her arms around him. She plants a short kiss on his lips and despite blushing, he circles her waist with one arm, pulling her closer for a second, deepening kiss that makes me look away and clear my voice.

“Don’t tell me you came to ogle us as we train,” I tease, looking back at them after the finish swallowing each other’s tongue.

Asami makes a face at me. “The rink where I’m going to train is five minutes away,” she explains, pretending to slap me and I duck, chuckling. She seems great, but there’s still this part of me that used to keep everyone away from Ikuya so his fragile mind won’t shatter. I can’t help myself.

“Ikuya, text me when practice is over. We should spend some time together while we can, the day after tomorrow I’ll be leaving for Hasetsu for some more training,” she tells Ikuya next, and he agrees swiftly, lowering his head to kiss her again.

Haru rolls his eyes, pretending to gag and I laugh, which eventually earns me a pinch to my side from her. After she leaves, the brunet joins us and we go inside together.

“Nice hickey,” Haru says, his dry tone making the comment worse than it would be if he would be joking. 

Ikuya blushes instantly and shakes his head. “Stop, not you too,” he replies, groaning. 

I open my mouth to retort, but give up when I notice, after one closer look at him, that Haru looks really tired. Maybe he’s hungover too, so I should sympathize with him since my headache is still very much present.

“The whole team is going to make fun of you, so you might as well prepare for it,” I settle on saying. “I can’t throw snappy remarks at all of them.”

Haru chuckles. “Don’t play coy, Toono. You’ll manage just fine.”

Ikuya passes a hand over his face. “Alright, then. I’ll just swim faster than everyone to shut them up.”

And oh boy, he does.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Guys, let’s go out tonight,” Kisumi repeats for the fifth time, crouching on the edge of the pool. 

Ikuya, Haru, Asahi and I decided to stay behind after the joined practice was over. Because of that, Asahi had to call Kisumi and let him know their gaming plans had to be postponed, which led to the pink annoyance come and pester us.

“Ah, shit, I forgot to call my sister,” Asahi mutters, then gets out of the pool and makes his way to the locker room again.

Ikuya resurfaces, then sighs as he shakes the water out of his hair. “I thought we stayed together to train, not splash around.”

I fold my arms over the edge of the people, then rest my head on them. “I can’t swim anymore, I’m done,” I admit. “Ask Haru to…” I cut my sentence short when I see the brunet floating on his back, his eyes closed. “Never mind.”

“You see? You’re all tired, let’s go out! You idiots owe me, you went to a party without me,” Kisumi complains, pouting.

“You refused to come because you already made plans to have dinner with your girlfriend and her parents, remember?” I point out, earning myself a dirty look from the salmon haired guy.

“That’s so unfair! Oh, I know,” Kisumi says, clapping his hands. “Ask your girlfriend to throw another party, Ikuya.”

The teal haired swimmer presses his lips, then dives back into the water, without replying.

“Fine. I’ll go out with you,” Haru suddenly says, a shut up already implied. “Find me a place to eat good mackerel at and I’ll come.”

I groan. “Dude, there’s other food on this planet.”

“Hey, guys, I found a creepy stalker ogling our sexy asses!” Asahi yells as he comes back, dragging a small figure dressed in an oversized black hoodie. 

The redhead looks so pleased with himself that I can’t help roll my eyes. The next thing I do is bawl my eyes out because when the girl takes her hood off, I’m met with black shoulder length hair and light gray eyes.

Her eyes widen as well when Kisumi turns to look at her, recognition lighting up his face. However, she’s fast enough to run towards him and slap both hands over his mouth, right as he says “Oh hello, Ha…”

The rest of her name is muffled by her palms and Kisumi stares at her, wide eyed. He mumbles something as well, but the girl threatens “ Don’t say my name, otherwise I’ll tell your girlfriend you’re cheating on her, you know how good I am at photoshopping pics.”

The salmon haired boy nodds immediately and she removes her hands. “Thank you for your service, Kisumi.”

We all stare at her, bawling our eyes out, our mouths agape and she giggles. “Yeah, sorry about that, I’m playing this cute game with Toono - kun and I don’t want it to be spoiled.”

“You can call me by my name, you know,” I offer, but she shakes her head.

“Only after you learn mine,” she replies, laughing.

“So, what were you doing lurking around here?” Asahi questions her, a hand perked on his hip as he shows off his muscles. 

“I heard about the joined practice and I stopped by after work to see if my friend is still here,” she explains, pointing to a small bag she’s carrying.

“And what friend is that?” I ask angrily, because I can’t take it anymore.

“Sakamoto Sayuri,” she replies, wincing as she senses my mood. 

“The mixed relay is tomorrow,” Haru intervenes, swimming to the edge of the pool. “Leave them to me, I’ll keep them in my locker and hand them to her tomorrow.”

“And you are…?” 

“Nanase Haru,” he replies, looking at her.

“Oh.” The brunette covers her mouth and giggles. “Oh, I know…about you. Yeah, yeah, cool. Sure, thanks,” she replies, a soft blush covering her cheeks. “Ha ha, so it’s you…okay, I’ll stop.”

Haru blinks, unimpressed, then goes back to floating on his back.

I get out of the water, brushing a hand through my wet hair as I slowly step closer to her. “So, any other reason you decided to drop by?”

I stop when I’m mere inches away from her and she tilts her head back to look at me. Her blush deepens and she moves her gaze to my chest.

“You’re wet,” she points out.

I bite my tongue, because I don’t think telling a girl whose name you don’t know shit like “I’d like you get you wet with my words only” is such a good idea.

Just saying.

“That’s a pretty good reason,” I settle on saying and she chuckles. “Bye, then.”

“What?” She looks taken aback.

“You always leave in the middle of conversation, so I decided to end it this time,” I explain and she starts laughing.

“Smooth, Toono – kun, very smooth. Well, then, I guess I’ll take my leave. Bye, guys!”

Asahi and Ikuya wave at her, only Haru keeps floating undisturbed.

“Oi, Nanase!” Haru opens one eye when I call his name. “Ask Sayuri what this girl’s name is.”

“No.”

Kisumi and Asahi start laughing, but I don’t give up. “Why? Just ask a fucking question.”

The brunet takes his sweet time swimming towards the edge of the pool. “Because you said no, too.”

I pass a hand over my face and decide to let it go, because the fucker clearly didn’t get over the fact that I tried to prevent him from meeting Ikuya. Anyways, there are some things I learned today. The first is the girl’s schedule, she gets off work pretty late and the second one is that since she likes books, I have a good chance of finding her in the library. Also, her name starts with Ha. 

“So, guys, are we going out tonight or not?” Kisumi tries for the last time.

“Yes, for fuck’s sake, Shigino.”


	13. Ikuya's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another smutty chapter! Enjoy :D

Despite Kisumi’s complaining, I eventually refused going out with the guys and texted Asami as soon as I left the swimming pool. Luckily, she had just finished her training for the day as well, so we decided to go grab something to eat.

“I hate you, why did you leave that mark on my neck? Do you have any idea what I’ve had to go through today?” I complain, slurping my noodles.

Asami waves her chopsticks. “I told you the lipstick stain turned me on. Apart from that, how was practice?”

“Haru was annoyingly not into it, I hope he’s more competitive tomorrow. We’re having a friendly medley relay.”

“That sounds exciting.”

“How about yours?” I ask.

“I have bruises the size of Japan on my butt from all the falling,” she replies, sighing. “I couldn’t land the quad Axel at all today. Victor politely suggested I should give up on it.” She sighs. “I don’t know, it might’ve been the lack of sleep. Or maybe I don’t have the strength necessary for it.”

I grab her hand, gently brushing my thumb over her knuckles. “I know you can do it.”

She smiles, squeezing her fingers over mine. “Thanks, I really needed that.”

We eat in silence for a few minutes, then she says “Let’s go swimming tonight. You know, like that first time we met. At closing hours.”

Oh gods, have mercy on me. Not the red swimsuit again.

“Sure,” I reply, my voice a bit high. 

“I want to try an IM with you tonight since you’re already tired,” she continues, laughing. “I don’t want to embarrass myself too much, you know.”

I chuckle as well, but my mind is already settled on that red swimsuit of hers.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Kirishima Ikuya, do I detect disappointment on your face?”

I blink twice, sighing. Asami’s got a black one-piece swimsuit on her. It’s backless, but still. The red one was way better.

“No, not at all,” I reply after a few seconds of silence.

“Liar,” she says, laughing, then suddenly pushes me into the pool.

I resurface faster than she thought I would because she yelps in surprise when I come out of the water and grab her ankles. I don’t unbalance her, because I don’t want her to get hurt, but her little scream was payment enough.

I grab the edge of pool and pull myself out, then run a hand through my hair. “I’ll match my speed with yours, however hard that may be,” I explain, ignoring her middle finger. “Then I’ll swim my way.”

She sticks her tongue out, making a face at me and I chuckle, then bend down to kiss her.

“Take your marks,” I say as we both step on the starting block and get ready. “Start!” 

I let her dive first and I’m surprised at her perfect, beautiful form. Her speed is decent, not out of the ordinary, but okay. Her butterfly swim style is very technical, by the book, her backstroke is the slowest, the breast stroke is also technical, but better. The freestyle is where I’m genuinely shocked. She’s so damn fast and her style is a lot like Haru’s. Must be in their blood or something.

I allow her to touch wall first and I hug her from behind. “I have to admit, I’m impressed with your freestyle.”

She chuckles, leaning back into me. “What about the other three? Be as mean as you can.”

“Never swim back, you looked like an otter. Butterfly and breast were okay, but too technical.”

“I’ll show otter style,” she says, laughing as she begins to struggle in my arms.

“Let’s have a freestyle race,” I offer, kissing her shoulder. 

“Let’s see how much of a show-off you really are,” she jokes.

I pull myself out of the water and then help her out as well. 

“We’re so going skating tomorrow,” she says as she takes her position. “I’m so going to embarrass myself in front of you.”

“Who taught you freestyle?” I ask, changing the subject. 

“I’m just copying Haru’s style,” Asami admits, wincing. “And I’ve had Sayuri teach me the rest.”

I take out my phone, setting it to whistle after 10 seconds, then take my position on the starting block as well. We dive almost as the same time when we hear the whistle and I have to admit, her reaction was pretty good. However, in the water, the difference between us is almost hilarious. I’ve finished the race and she’s halfway through it. 

She’s panting when she finally slaps the wall and I circle her waist with one arm, supporting her. “That was better than I expected.”

Asami drops her head on my shoulder, then bites as hard as she can. I yelp, surprised, then grab her by the hair and pull her off. 

“Asami, not again!”

She looks at me and licks her lips. “Do that again,” she purrs, staring into my eyes.

I tighten my hand into her hair, pulling her head back and slamming my mouth on hers at the same time. The brunette wraps her legs around my waist, rubbing herself onto me and moaning into my mouth when she feels my erection.

“We’ll get in trouble,” she murmurs into my ear, then licks my earlobe and pulls it between her lips. “Haru’s not home tonight.”

I swallow hard, burying my face into her neck and kissing the smooth skin. I want her, badly, but I’m so nervous that I can’t speak right now.

“Ikuya,” she says, her voice breaking when I unconsciously push my hips into hers. 

I make an effort to grab her waist and force myself to push her away. She looks at me through half closed eyes and I brush a thumb over her slightly swollen lips.

“Yeah,” I reply, my voice hoarse. “We should go.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I’m trying so hard not to think about the fact that I’ve never had sex and she has obviously had before. I’m nervous because what if she’ll compare me to other guys? What if I do something wrong?

Asami pokes my forehead. “Stop thinking, Ikuya.” She motions for me to take off my T shirt, then pushes me down on her bed, smiling like a predator as she crawls on top of me. “Focus only on me and what you want to do to me. I know it’s your first time and I don’t care.”

She moves her face closer to mine, then licks my bottom lip. “What do you want to do to me?” she whispers, pulling my bottom lip between her teeth to bite it.

I place my hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her closer as I kiss her with bruising pressure. I love kissing her and I love those little sounds that she makes when she’s getting into it.

I grab her waist and turns us around, then kneel between her legs and push her shirt up. I lower my head and place it on the smooth skin of her abdomen, kissing my way up as I reveal more and more skin. Asami gets up a little and grips the hem of her shirt, then takes it off. I kiss my way up to her lips, then devour her mouth again, this time letting my hands explore her body.

She arches her back, moaning when I move to her breasts and start kissing around the nipple, before I close my mouth around the tight bud. She told me not to think about it, just focus on what I want to do to her and for the moment, I want to taste every part of her.

Asami’s legs are shaking a bit when I part them and lower my mouth between them, gently biting the soft skin of her thighs. 

“Ikuya, you’re driving me crazy,” she says, gasping for air when I kiss her between her legs. 

She tenses and yells out when I move my tongue on a particular spot, then tangles her hand into my hair. 

“It’s so good, don’t stop,” Asami begs. 

I’ve never heard her use this voice before and it’s so sexy, it’s turning me on. I’m painfully hard, but I feel like I haven’t had enough of tasting her either.

I lick my way up her abdomen as she shudders underneath me, moaning. She opens her eyes to look at me, then grabs my shoulder and motions for me to turn around again.

“Let me return the favor,” she asks, her voice so soft and sexy and I immediately comply.

Asami places her mouth right under my belly button, then starts sucking on the skin there. Some part of my brain considers telling her not to leave another hickey and right there, of all places, but the other part of me – that’s not my brain – is happy about everything that happens, so I keep my mouth shut.

When she’s pleased with the result, she grabs my pants and start pulling them down. My erection finally springs free and her eyes widen at the sight – not gonna lie, I’m going to remember this moment until the day I die. This is the peak of my pride.

“The hickeys are not enough,” she comments, chuckling between licks along my shaft. “I’m going to tattoo my name all over you, Ikuya.”

I throw my head back, moaning when she wraps her tongue around the tip and it takes all my concentration not to come right then. I’m shamelessly thinking about Hiyori, Haru – nope, bad idea, he and Asami look too much alike – Asahi – yes, that cooled me down – my brother – danger, I don’t want to lose it forever!

“Let me be on top this time,” she tells me and I nod. “Can I put the condom on with my mouth?”

Holly fuck, did I hear that correctly?

I raise my head in time to see her break the small package with her teeth, then expertly put it on me using her lips and tongue. There’s a traitorous part of my brain that’s still alive, even right now, that can’t help but think about all the guys she’s done this with.

Asami starts laughing suddenly. “Okay, that wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve never done that before, I thought I should try something new as well,” she explains as she gets on top of me.

Now that the traitorous part of my brain is satisfied as well, I place my hands on her hips. She strokes me a few times through the condom, then guides my dick to her entrance, before she slowly descends her body. We moan in unison when I’m completely inside of her and it’s pure heaven.

“You’re so big,” she whimpers, rolling her hips tentatively as she adjusts. 

I pull her down to kiss her, our tongues dancing with each other. Asami breaks the kiss eventually, then places her hands on my chest and starts moving. I push my heels into the mattress, raising my hips to thrust into her harder, because I’m losing my mind at her slow movements.

She rapidly picks up the pace and that’s it, I can’t. I grab her hips and thrust hard, reaching my climax at the same time, a small groan escaping my lips.

“I’m…” I began to apologize because I finished so quickly, but Asami shuts me up by handing me another condom.

“Don’t worry about it,” she says, winking at me, then rolls off on her side.

I rip the package open and roll the new condom on – I’m not proud to say that I’ve watched a video on Youtube on how to put a condom on, but it’s better than just staring at it like a retard – then grab her leg and position myself behind her, spooning her.

Asami arches into me, again guiding my dick inside of her and I wrap one arm around her, pulling her even closer. This time I’m not thinking about anything but her as I thrust into her, setting up the pace. 

The brunette grabs my hand, guiding it to her neck. “Choke me a bit,” she asks.

Normally, I would’ve questioned it, but I’m too caught up in her to even think about what she’s asking. I latch my hand onto her neck, squeezing lightly. Asami moans, gripping my wrist and arching into me even more.

I’m close again, I feel it, so I pick up the pace even more, thrusting into her harder and harder. Asami presses her other hand between her legs, circling her clit with her middle fingers and she reaches her orgasm. She yells out, tightening around me and I don’t need anything else to come again, unconsciously tightening my hand around her neck.

Asami turns to look at me and I pull her closer, kissing her softly. “Did I freak you out?”

I gently caress her neck. “No, I was just worried not to hurt you.” I’m ashamed that I didn’t think about hurting her at all when I was inside her, but now I’m freaking out a bit.

“I trust you,” she says, kissing me again. Her hand travels down my body and she grabs me, leisurely moving her hand along my length. I thought I was tired, but I feel myself getting hard again.

“Well, then, if I didn’t freak you out, let’s try this next…”


	14. Rin's POV

“Karaoke!” Kisumi yells as soon as we’re out of the restaurant. 

Makoto sighs. “Look, I don’t know, guys, I have work tomorrow…”

“Oh, come on, Makoto,” I intervene, laughing. “You refused to come to Asami’s party, too. What are you, forty?”

Asahi sighs. “Stop talking about the party, I’m so jealous of you guys. That damn exam, I was so unlucky…” 

The redhead moves behind Haru and has the audacity to rest his chin on my boyfriend’s shoulder. Well, that is, if he really is my boyfriend. Wait, is Haru my boyfriend? Oh no, what if I’m a second Sayuri, another friend of his? I’m losing my mind.

“Haru, what are you doing?” Asahi asks.

“Getting an Uber,” the brunet replies, unfazed.

“Why?” Kisumi asks, surprised.

“You said you wanted karaoke,” Haru answers, in the same manner.

“Since when do you like karaoke?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Haru raises his head, looking directly at me as he says “I don’t, but you do.”

Oh, fuck. I want to kiss him so badly. I lick my bottom lip, staring intently at Haru, who swallows hard and looks away, with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Hiyori pretends to gag next to Haru and the brunet elbows him in the side, then clears his voice. 

“You know a good karaoke place?” Asahi ask, genuinely surprised.

“I…know the bartender there. She’ll let you guys drink everything and not ask about age,” he replies, sneaking a glance at me. “That way Kisumi, Asahi and Makoto will get a taste of my sister’s party.”

I bite my tongue hard enough to make myself wince. He fucking knows the bartender there?! Breathe, Rin, it’s okay, you’ve had your share of fun in Australia too, and Haru is cool enough to ask about it.

Makoto’s eyes are comically huge. “You had alcohol at that party?”

“Yes, Asami made Hugos for us,” Haru replies, matter of factly. “The Uber is here.”

Haru ordered a Black Van for us, since there are six of us. I’m shocked at everything he does, because the boy I remember from Iwatobi would give anything to spend his night alone at home, make some mackerel for himself and sit in the bathtub. I feel like I don’t really know this Haru, who has friends with benefits, drinks and goes out at night.

At least, when we’re swimming, he’s the same. I can’t help but feel jealous of everyone that got to spend their time with him and notice all the changes as they happened, while I was training in Australia.

I shiver when Haru intertwines his fingers with mine, giving my hand a light squeeze. “Rin?”

I blink, doing my best to come back to Earth. “Yeah?”

“You okay?” he insists, squeezing my hand tighter.

A part of me is happy that he’s holding my hand in public, but the other, bitter one is thinking that he’s only doing it because we’re in the backseat and it’s dark and no one can see us. I push away my negative thoughts and nod, smiling a bit.

Haru nods back and holds my hand until we arrive at out destination. As far as I know, Hiyori is the only one who noticed something is going on with me and Haru – he was at the party, too. Makoto might know too, that is, if Haru told him. 

Still, I’m somehow scared of people knowing about us. Maybe Sousuke’s words got to me and my stupid crush for Haru will do me no good and only endanger my dream. What if Haru doesn’t love me and he’s just playing with me? Do I want Haru to love me? Do I love him?

The jealousy is burning like fire through my veins when I see the brunet walk with confidence to the bar and lean with his forearms against the bar counter.

“Hey,” he says, smiling a bit.

“Haru – chan!” she exclaims, hugging him over the bar counter.

The blonde girl is obviously a hafu – half Japanese – and looks a bit older than us.

“Drop the chan,” Haru mutters, shaking his head. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

Asahi joins the brunet in a blink of an eye, all smiles. “Oh, so this is the beautiful bartender Haru told us about?”

Blondie chuckles flirtatiously, waving her hand. “Oh, stop it, you’re too kind! I’m Sigrun.”

“Asahi,” the redhead replies, his eyes devouring her. “Interesting name.”

“My father is from Iceland,” she replies, chuckling. “But I prefer living with my Japanese mom.”

We all gather around Haru and Asahi and I have to fight the urge to grab his hand or kiss him, somehow show the world that he’s mine. I can’t help but imagine a similar scenario, but with Haru as the main boy, sitting at this bar and flirting with the blonde girl. And then he takes her to his apartment, because he’s living alone and he can bring people over whenever the hell he wants, without having to deal with roommates and shit.

“How’s your brilliant sister, Haru? Is she qualifying for the Olympics or what?” Sigrun asks, already preparing a cocktail for Haru. “Here, your favorite.”

“We sure hope so,” the brunet replies, bowing his head as he takes the glass, but then he gives it to Kisumi. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m not drinking tonight. I have to train tomorrow, early in the morning.”

Asahi pouts, his eyes focused on the glass Kisumi is examining. He takes a sip, his eyes widening. “Oh, I know this one! My girlfriend prepared it for me, once. It’s called Sex on the beach.”

“What the fuck?!” I exclaim, unable to stop myself. 

Six pairs of eyes turn to look at me and I’m too angry to feel embarrassed. Hiyori looks like he’s dying of laughter, Kisumi and Makoto are staring at me with scared eyes, Asahi grows disinterested soon and starts chatting Sigrun up and asking for the same cocktail. And then there’s Haru, who lets out the deepest of sighs and mouths “I’m so sorry,” to me.

My anger evaporates instantly and I’m mortified. I am a despicable human being.

“Now that everyone’s got something to drink, let me show you to a karaoke room,” Sigrun tells us, smiling. 

She motions for us to follow her after she calls someone else to the bar, then invites us in a spacious karaoke room, black leather couches all around a huge screen on the wall. We all get settled in, expect for Haru who stays behind, because Sigrun has grabbed his forearm. She asks him something, whispering into his ear and his face lights up as he nods.

I want to bite her head off. She asked him for a quick fuck, I’m sure of it. 

“I’ll sing first!” Kisumi declares and Asahi groans.

“This guy is terrible, he sounds like a dying cat,” the redhead comments, which earns him a punch in the shoulder from the salmon haired boy. “Makoto, you go first.”

The brown haired man raises his arms. “What? Why me?”

“Relax, peasants, I’ll go first,” Hiyori says, adjusting his glasses. 

He picks Lost in Japan, by Shawn Mendes and holly shit, he’s good. He’s got almost no accent as he sings in English – I heard he attended high school in the US – and his voice is surprisingly pleasant. I focus on him, moving my hand away when Haru’s fingers graze mine on the sofa. I don’t look at him, because I know that hurt him and for some reason, I can’t seem to be able to let go of my anger.

Asahi stares at Hiyori, mouth agape as the auburn haired man finishes his song. “What the actual fuck, you can sing?”

Hiyori shrugs. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I’m completely opposed to any action that would humiliate me in any way.”

The redhead sighs. "There he is. I was worried the insufferable prick got lost on the way."

Kisumi snatches the microphone from Hiyori's hands. “My turn!” he yells, most likely interrupting an acid remark from him.

I suddenly get up, unable to cool off. I can't seem to be able to have a good time, because my thoughts are too dark right now. “I’m getting a refill,” I say, even though my glass of iced tea is untouched.

“Want me to wait for you?” the pink haired boy offers, but I shake my head.

I feel Haru’s gaze burning through my back, but I don’t turn around to look at him. I just go.


	15. Haru's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Rin sings for karaoke night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBqJTAATpM .

Makoto’s head bumps into mine. “Are you going after him?”

We both wince as Kisumi starts singing next – he’s not as bad as Asahi described him, but he murders our ears with his high notes. I sigh, dropping my gaze. “I don’t know if I should bother him.”

My best friend presses his lips into my ear. “Haru, you know my sensible opinion about this matter. However, I’m your friend, too. Do what makes you happy, Haru. I’ll support you whatever you do.”

Asahi groans next to me, pressing both palms over his ears as Kisumi attacks another extremely high note. “Oi, what the fuck, Kisumi!”

Hiyori nodds, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “For once, I totally agree with you.”

Kisumi thankfully ends the song and Hiyori starts clapping, a second after he finished singing. “Amazing, I love this part!”

The salmon haired boy pouts, pretending to be hurt for exactly three seconds. “I was only warming up! The next song will be better,” he says, choosing the next song.

“No, no, please don’t!” Asahi begs, both hands covering his face.

Hiyori sighs, joining Kisumi at the karaoke machine. “Let’s leave Camila Cabello for some other time, okay? She’s not really your style. How about we find an easier song, hm?”

I suddenly get up. “I’m going to the bathroom,” I announce.

Hiyori rolls his eyes. “And I’m Mother Teresa reincarnated,” he comments.

I ignore him and exit the karaoke room. I’m scared Rin has already left, since it took me five minutes to chase after him, so I almost bump into him as I’m searching for him.

“Haru?” Rin looks surprised for a second, but then his features sharpen with anger again. He brushes a hand through his crimson hair, then grabs my hand and starts dragging me after him, just like the night at the party, after Sayuri sat in my lap.

“Rin, wait…where are we going?”

He doesn’t reply, just keeps dragging me after him. He quickly finds a bathroom, then randomly chooses a stall and pushes me inside. Rin comes in, too, locking the door behind him, before he grabs me and slams me against it. The stall is small, so we barely fit inside, our bodies brushing against each other.

“I can’t do this anymore, Haru,” he begins. “Every time we hang out, there’s some girl acting as if you’re still dating or something.”

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, biting on it before I say the worst thing possible in this situation. “You’re being a bitch because you’re here, in Tokyo. What if we were in Australia, huh, Rin? Wouldn’t our roles be reversed? And besides, I didn’t date any of them.”

Rin flinches, looking like I’ve punched him in the face. “Yeah,” he mutters. “You never ask me anything about Australia. Why, Haru? I’m that unimportant to you, right?”

I shake my head, frustrated because my pride is getting in my way of expressing my feelings. I’m so mad at Rin right now, because he’s so infuriatingly wrong.

“That’s why you didn’t let me mark your skin, right? So they wouldn’t know about me,” he continues. “Well, fuck that.”

Before I can say anything, Rin rips my shirt open, exposing my neck and right shoulder, then bites me. I gasp, because he actually bites me. He sinks his teeth into my skin and there’s nothing sexy about it, just sharp pain.

I slap a hand over my mouth, but a small, muffled sob still escapes as he grips my hips hard. Tears start streaking down my cheeks and I remove my hand, then mutter “I love you, Rin.”

The crimson haired boy freezes and I say it again, louder this time “I love you, you fucking idiot!”

Rin raises his head and I flinch, gritting my teeth to prevent another sob from escaping my lips. I squeeze my eyes shut, but the tears keep flowing.

“Oh, God. Oh, no, what have I done,” Rin murmurs, gently cupping my face with his hands. “Haru, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me…”

He gently presses a hand over the fresh bruise on the juncture between neck and shoulder and I shiver. “I’m so sorry,” he repeats.

“You’re important to me,” I say, as I begin to wipe my tears away. “Why are you so insecure?”

“Because you don’t talk to me,” he replies, his voice hoarse. He softly wipes my tears away with his thumbs, then rests his forehead on mine. “I’m so sorry, Haru. I saw the fucking bartender grab you and whisper something to you and I imagined the worst.”

I tilt my head back, wincing when he massages my neck. “She asked me if I’m finally happy. I nodded yes because I’m finally happy that you’re here.”

I shake my head, then settle my eyes on his. “I just want you to be free, Rin.”

His eyes fill with tears and he wraps his arms around me, his face buried in the crook of my neck. I gently stroke his head, tangling my fingers in his silky, crimson hair. I feel so tired, suddenly. I desperately want to go home and sit in the bathtub until morning, let the water soothe me.

“I thought the worst and let my anger get the better of me,” Rin says after a while, raising his head to look at me. “I’d understand if you wanted some time away from me to process everything, Haru, I wouldn’t hold it against you. I’m not trying to find excuses, I just…”

I grab him by his black T shirt, gripping the material in my hands as I pull him closer, slamming my mouth against his. His arms automatically circle my waist, his lips scorching hot against mine, his tongue burning as it brushes against mine. 

Rin breaks the kiss only to tell me “I’m sorry I’m an idiot, but I love you, Haru,” then his lips reclaim mine. “I love you desperately,” he says again, between kisses.

His hands find their way underneath my shirt, his fingers so cold against my burning skin as he presses me into the door, his lips never leaving mine.

I’m gasping for air when he finally breaks the kiss. He winces as he looks at the wound he left on my skin and I shake my head. “Don’t apologize anymore, but never do it again, Rin. You scared me.”

He nods, unable to look me in the eyes as he begins to button up my shirt, the ugly bruise disappearing from view. “I’ll prove myself to you, Haru. I’ll show you that I truly love you.”

“Never scare me like this again,” I repeat and he hugs me tight.

~~~~~~~~~~

If looks could kill, Rin would’ve dropped dead the second Makoto laid his eyes on him the second we came back.

“Turns out Kisumi can sing j-rock,” Hiyori informs us, pretending to ignore my red eyes. “You missed something fun.”

Asahi chuckles. “Makoto, your turn.”

The brown haired boy shakes his head. “No, no, I’m good with watching you guys,” he tries, but the redhead isn’t having any of it. 

He grabs Makoto’s arm and drags him in front of the screen, then pushes the microphone in his arms. My best friend looks at me and I nod to his unspoken question. Yes, Makoto, let’s say I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I need Rin more than I need my sanity tonight.

“Here, drink this,” Kisumi intervenes, pushing a glass with a colorful drink in it. “It will help,” he adds, laughing.

“Oh, what the hell.” Makoto takes the glass from Kisumi, drinking half of it before returning it.

Owl City’s Fireflies is a safe choice for Makoto and I can’t help but roll my eyes. Every time he is forced to sing at karaoke nights, he always picks this song. Just like usual, he starts out with a soft, quiet voice, getting into it only halfway into the song.

When it’s finally Rin’s turn – everyone knows I don’t sing and they don’t even bother with me anymore – he picks a song in English as well.

He looks right at me as he takes the microphone and starts singing, his eyes settled on mine throughout the whole song. It’s the acoustic version of a very popular song and my heart skips a beat when he reaches the chorus.

Right before I close my eyes  
The only thing that’s on my mind  
Been dreaming that you feel it too  
I wonder what it’s like to be loved by you.

He doesn’t even put the mic aside, he strolls towards me when he finishes his song, grabs my chin with one hand and presses his lips on mine. It’s a short peck on the lips, but still pretty important. Rin basically came out in front of everyone and declared his love for me.

Everyone is too quiet and only after what feels like hours, Makoto clears his voice and says. “So, uhm, I guess Rin won karaoke night?”

Hiyori scoffs. “Only because he ended his song dramatically.”

Kisumi claps his hands. “Guys, congratulations on coming out to us. Now, who’s next?”

Asahi is still bawling his eyes out, so Kisumi takes the microphone from Rin’s hands and places it into the redhead’s hands. “There, there, don’t look so shocked. We all saw it coming.”

“What? You all knew? Why didn’t you tell me?!” he exclaims.

“Because we didn’t talk about it, moron, everyone pretty much figured it out,” Hiyori retorts.

Makoto clears his voice again. “Now, now, don’t fight,” he says, trying to break the tension, as usual. “Asahi, it is indeed your turn.”

The redhead settles his eyes on me. “Haru?”

I shrug. “I have nothing more to say.”

Asahi mimics my gesture, a small smile forming on his lips. “Seems like Haru is still Haru. Well, then let’s see, I think I’m going to sing this next…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually part two of karaoke night, but I really felt that Haru's POV was necessary :D


	16. Asami's POV

I stretch my arms above my head, then look at Ikuya over my shoulder. I roll on my side and push away some stray hairs from his face, gently tracing his cheekbones with the tips of my fingers. 

“You’re staring,” he murmurs, without opening his eyes.

“I like your face,” I reply, chuckling when he opens one eye to look at me. 

He suddenly grabs me, pulling me into him as he wraps both his arms and legs around me. I struggle playfully and he hugs me even tighter, resting his chin atop my head.

“What times is it?” he asks, yawning into my hair.

“Almost 8 am,” I reply, cuddling into him. “We’ve got time for breakfast.”

“That requires moving,” Ikuya complains. 

“Okay, five more minutes,” I relent, relaxing into him and closing my eyes.

“So, how many hickeys do I have to worry about?” Ikuya asks after a while.

I start laughing. “I don’t remember. Let’s go take a shower together so we can count them. But please be quiet, Haru’s home now.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“You have to trust Yuri,” Victor tells me, squeezing my shoulder.

I absent mindedly rub the tattoo on my left hand, trying not to think about the scar underneath. I have to admit, me and Yuri have a good chemistry on ice.

We’ve talked about it and planned to combine some of our oldest programs and come up with a a short program and a free skate for the the charity event. We decided on using his Eros performance for the short program from last season and my Nothing else matters free skate that Ritsu, my coach, has come up with two years prior.

With the help of Victor, we’ve changed the choreos so that we can incorporate pair moments, a few jumps, spins and a twist lift in the free skate.

“Let’s lose the twist lift,” I say, looking away. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“You’re not scared of the quad Axel, but a twist lift freaks you out?” Yura comments and Otabek elbows him in the side.

“I don’t know, she might be right,” Yuri murmurs, his eyes wide and his face pale. Looks like his anxiety is slowly getting the better of him and he can’t stop running dark scenarios through his head.

My fear of twist lifts comes from when I was seventeen and my coach, Sakamoto Ritsu, convinced me to try pair skating. My partner was Atkinson Masamune, a blue eyed half Japanese, half British hottie. He was considered a prodigy, winning gold after gold as a junior, but immediately subdued by Victor when he debuted as a senior. That’s why he talked to Ritsu and they decided to have Masamune make his debut in pair skating. I, of course, accepted. I debuted to seniors when I was sixteen and won a gold medal, so I was confident enough to try anything. 

Masamune skipped practice one day and convinced me to train later the same evening, after everyone left home. He miscalculated his throw – I didn’t notice he was intoxicated when he asked me to train with him. Somehow he panicked and grabbed my leg in midair, instead of catching me, so we fell on top of each other. I still don’t know how it happened, but my left arm got caught under his leg, so when he pushed me aside and tried to get up, his skate slashed my left wrist open. The fall was ugly and I hit my head, losing consciousness and I was completely unaware of my injury.

He never got any help. He left me there to bleed. We found out some time later that he had gotten himself into some shit with drugs, so he was under something pretty heavy, because he insisted that he didn’t remember my fall.

Ritsu found me by chance, because he had forgotten something at the rink we trained, and took me to the hospital. As soon as my wound healed, the first thing I did was go to a tattoo parlor and cover my whole left forearm with the snake tattoo, which earned me the nickname Hebi – chan from my Japanese fans.

“You’re right, Yura,” I mutter, then brush my hands through my hair. I tie it in a tight bun atop my head, securing it with hair pins and I turn to Yuri. “If you drop me, I’ll turn you into Katsudon.”

“That’s one Katsudon I’ll pass,” the blond says, sticking out his tongue.

“If that fails, we can always replace it with a throw jump,” I offer.

“Yuri can catch you, his stamina is great,” Victor reassures me. “Let’s see some practice now, you two.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“It was horrible,” I complain to Sayuri on Skype. “I mean, I was horrible. I kept clinging to Yuri in the beginning, so he couldn’t throw me up in the air. When I finally overcame that, the poor guy caught me but I latched onto him like a monkey.”

The chestnut haired girl can’t stop laughing. “Please, no more,” she asks, almost in tears as she wraps her arms around herself. “I’m gonna pee, stop making me laugh.”

“It’s not funny, you whore!” I exclaim and she rolls over, tears streaking down her face. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” she says, wiping her tears away. “Maybe it’s your partner’s fault somehow?”

I sigh. “I tried pairing up with Victor, then with Otabek. I work best with Yuri.” I groan, slapping a pillow to my face. “I’m going to embarrass myself at the charity event, I know it.”

“Replace the twist lift with something else,” she offers.

“We tried a throw jump and I fell square on my butt.”

Another round of laughing from her and cursing from me later, we finally change the subject. “Sousuke asked me out on a date,” Sayuri says, grinning.

“You know, you usually go on dates first and fuck later,” I tease her and she points her middle finger to the camera.

“You’re a bigger slut than I am, Asami. And besides, what’s the point of wasting time with a guy if he can’t fuck you the way you want?” Sayuri clicks her tongue. “He wanted to know if I had sex with Haru, though.”

“So, did you tell him what he wanted to hear of the truth?” I ask, chuckling.

“Who do you think I am? You know they don’t really like each other.”

I wave my hand. “Boy shit.”

“Eh, who cares.” Sayuri rests her chin in her hands. “So which are better, swimmers or muay thai fighters?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” I reply, staring at my nails.

“I know your signature, my dear hoe. We had mixed practice today with Shimo Uni. Not the first guy I’ve seen with hickeys under his belly button and on his neck.”

I shrug. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

“No, not at all,” she retorts. “Only when you’re drunk.”

I hear a soft knock on my door and motion for Sayuri to be quiet.

“Asami, are you awake?” 

The whisper is definitely Yuri’s, so I say “Yes, come in.”

The brunet opens the door and Sayuri squeals. “Hi, handsome!”

Yuri shyly waves to my phone, then looks at me. “Are you busy? Victor fell asleep and I thought we could practice some more…you know, without them staring at us.”

“No, I’m not busy, I’m just killing time,” I reply, then turn my attention back to my phone. “Bye, bitch. See you when I come back.”

“Bya, Asami! Bye, Yuri – chan! Let’s hit some karaoke places when you come back to Tokyo!”

The brunet laughs politely, then passes a hand over his face when the Skype call is over. “She’ll never let me forget, will she?”

“Next time, don’t get drunk,” I retort, then get up from the bed. I’m wearing yoga pants and a loose blouse, so I decide to just put a cardigan over my clothes and leave with him. 

It’s past 11 pm when we reach the rink and Yuri unlocks the door with the key he borrowed from his childhood friend, the owner of the rink we use to train. 

“I think it’s a shame we nail both choreos so well, except for the twist lift.”

I nod, looking at him. “So what do you suggest?”

“Let’s add something that scares me, too. That way, we’re even,” he proposes. “I’ve watched some pair skating on Youtube and the death spiral absolutely terrifies me.”

I bawl my eyes out. “You want to add a death spiral to our free skate?”

Yuri pauses and rubs the back of his head. “I was thinking we could add it to the short program.”

I’m still staring at him wide eyed. “But that means we’re not allowed an opposite hand hold!”

The brunet nods. “Yeah, Victor mentioned it as well…”

“That’s insane! I fucking love it. Okay, let’s try.” 

We both put our skates on and start slowly sliding on ice, debating when to add the death spiral during our short program. Eventually, we decide to replace the synchronizez spin at the end of the program with the death spiral. Yuri acts terrified at the thought – I know this whole fear of death spiral is fake – but that secretly makes me feel better.

And it works. It’s late when we finally manage it, but it’s perfect. Both me and Yuri have enviable stamina, being the kind of skaters that could pull through a whole night of training, but we actually do it. We’ve mastered our death spiral.

“It’s almost 3 am,” I remark, checking my phone. 

I have a few messages from Haru, Sayuri and one from Ikuya, from. I type a quick apology to the teal haired swimmer, explaining that I’ve been training the whole night and that I’m technically still training, then drop my phone back in the backpack.

“I don’t need a break,” I tell Yuri and he winces, but he doesn’t complain.

“Let’s do the free skate next. Make it perfect the first time,” he orders and I look at him, surprised, but it’s my turn to keep my mouth shut.

We go smoothly through the step sequence and the synchronized spins and jumps and this is it. Finally, we reach the twist lift part. I grit my teeth, my whole body tensed, but I pray to the gods above and let him throw me. I spin in the air and before I know it, Yuri catches me, placing me back on ice. My eyes are squeezed shut and I don’t move, interrupting the choreo.

I don’t open my eyes, flinching when I hear him approach me, because I expect him to scold me. Yuri, however, gently grabs my shoulders and says “That was perfect, Asami!”

I tentatively open one eye, checking for sarcasm, but he’s genuinely smiling at me. 

“Again. Let’s start from the beginning and remember, we have a step sequence after the twist lift.”

I let out a short laugh, nodding and he smiles at me again.

I’ve lost count to the number of tries, I only know that it’s morning when we finally complete the choreo. We’re both panting, on our knees in the middle of the ice rink, exhausted now that the adrenaline left out bodies, but we still manage a fist bump.

“We’re going to knock them over,” I declare and he starts laughing.


	17. Sousuke's POV

“You look like you’ve just jumped out of the cover of a fashion magazine.”

I roll my eyes. “Shut your trap, Rin. Some of us know how to style a scarf.”

The crimson haired man chuckles, then throws his gym bag over his shoulder. “Well, have fun then. I’m not coming home tonight.”

I sigh. “You know what, it’s your life, Rin. When everything falls apart and you see your dream slithering away through your fingers, I hope I’ll be strong enough to tell you that I told you so.”

Rin frowns, his knuckles whitening because of how hard he’s gripping the strap. “Why are you such a jerk sometimes?”

I shake my head. “I’m only trying to keep you focused.”

“You’re just making me feel insecure!” he yells and I flinch. “Do you know what I did to Haru last night…you know what, it doesn’t matter.” Rin takes a deep breath, struggling to get his anger under control. “I’m moving with Haru as soon as his sister leaves. Please put up with me until then. Bye, Sousuke.”

He slams the door behind him as he leaves my apartment and I let out a frustrated sigh. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“What the hell are you wearing?” I ask, eyes wide as I look at Sayuri up and down.

She’s dressed in loose black pants, an oversized gray hoodie, her hair is pulled up in a messy bun atop her head and she’s wearing glasses. I had no idea Sayuri wears glasses.

The chestnut haired girl’s eyes are as wide as mine. “Where the hell are you taking me, a meeting with the Prime Minister? How the fuck did even you tie up that scarf, Sousuke?” Her small hands grip my forearms as she takes in my blazer and slim fit pants. “I came here right after training, because I didn’t want to be late, but clearly I should’ve chosen to be late.”

I shake my head, laughing. “You’re cute, nevertheless, but I’ve made a reservation at Kagurazaka Shimizu.”

“Oh, fuck,” she mutters, adjusting her glasses. “Well, then, Yamazaki, this is your fault. Fix it.”

I blink, confused. “How is this my fault?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know, but fix it.”

“Fine,” I reply, taking out my phone. “I’ll change the reservation time for two hours from now. We’re going shopping, brat.”

She throws her arms up, cheering. “Heck yeah!” Still smiling, she takes my hand, intertwining our fingers. “I’m driving.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Sayuri turns around again and again, checking herself out in the mirror. I insisted that she tried a simple, tight white dress with a black leather jacket and black high heels. Despite her initial refusal, she eventually relented and listened to me.

“You know, Sousuke, your sense of fashion scares me,” Sayuri says, still checking her out. 

I chuckle and she sticks out her tongue at me. I get up from my chair and walk towards he, then I untie her hair, letting my fingers tangle into the silky strands, before I lift one wisp to my lips. “Never cut your beautiful hair.”

I look up, our eyes meeting in the mirror, her cheeks a bit blushed. “You and your obsession with long hair.”

I brush both hands through her hair, my fingers slowly massaging her scalp for a few seconds. I laugh when she leans into me, eyes closed, a content sigh escaping her lips.

“I’ll go pay for your new outfit and send someone to cut the tags,” I tell her, placing both hands on her shoulders.

Sayuri turns around to face me. “What? No, no, it’s okay, I’ll pay for my clothes.”

“I already said I’ll do it. I chose them, I pay for them,” I retort, chuckling.

“But you didn’t force them on me, I love the outfit, no need to spoil me so much,” she insists, but I’m already walking away from her. “Sousuke!” she calls, following me.

I turn around suddenly, placing both hands on her face and pressing my lips to her. Sayuri freezes in her spot, eyes wide when I break the kiss. Two teenage girls chuckle and point to us, so the chestnut haired girl’s cheeks turn a deep shade of red as she covers her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Let me spoil you,” I tell her, kissing her forehead next. 

Sayuri nods, her cheeks still flushed. “Okay, fine. Thank you,” she mutters, looking away.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m full for now,” Sayuri says, leaning back into her chair. “I’m in heaven,” she comments, chuckling. 

I’m a bit shocked at how much sushi Sayuri can eat, but I keep my mouth shut. Asami told me that her favorite food is sushi and she can eat an unholy amount of it, but I guess I didn’t actually expect it, since she’s so tiny.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” she begins, her eyes fixed on mine. “Please don’t get angry and hear me out, okay?”

My hand immediately grabs my right shoulder and my whole body tenses. I know she’s going to ask me about my shoulder and when I plan to have surgery and fix it. I don’t know if I’m willing to have this conversation, though.

“Let’s not ruin our date, okay?” I mutter, but she ignores me. 

Sayuri takes out her phone and shows me a picture of a female swimmer.

“Do you know who this is?” she asks me, resting her chin onto the palm of her other hand.

I blink. “I somehow know her face, but…”

“This is Olympic swimmer Ashley Twichell. She underwent surgery on her shoulder, started training competitively again one year after that and then swam for the Olympic team,” she explains. 

“What does that have to do with me?” I snap, angrily looking away.

“My father operated on her.”

I freeze in my spot, unable to speak for a few minutes, my food forgotten. “Where are you going with this?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

“I’ve talked to him about you and he wants to see you. He’ll stay in Tokyo until All – Japan is over, because he wants to see me swim, then he’s going back to the US,” she replies, placing her hand over mine and squeezing it. “I know it would be painful and tough, but there’s a good chance you’ll be able to swim again.”  
“Am I not good enough for you if I don’t swim competitively?” I bite out, raising my voice.

Sayuri’s eyes widen for a second, then they become cold as ice. “Fine, then. Be like this.” She leans back into her chair again and starts typing on her phone. “You know, I’ve suddenly remembered I have something better to do tonight.”

“Yeah, like what?” I provoke her further, even though there’s a knot in my stomach.

“Like telling my dad you’re too afraid of surgery to even try,” she replies, standing. “Thank you for this wonderful date, Sousuke. Let’s call it a night, I’ll drive you home.”

I feel like shit as we leave the restaurant and walk side by side to her car. 

“I can call an Uber,” I mutter, but she shakes her head. 

“Get in. I’m not mad at you, Sousuke and you shouldn’t be angry with me,” she replies. 

I sigh as I get in, putting my seat belt on. I watch her as she starts driving, frustrated that I can’t read anything from her expression. Sayuri looks calm and unaffected, but I can’t help but feel guilty that I ruined our date.

I’m so caught up in my thoughts that I notice she has stopped the car only when she places her hand on my shoulder. I look out the window, frowning. “This isn’t my apartment building.”

Sayuri chuckles. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice sooner! Your sense of direction can’t be that bad, Sousuke.”

“In my defense, I was thinking about something,” I mutter, suddenly embarrassed. “So, where are we?”

“My house.”

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, bawling my eyes out.

“You think I swim the 400 m and 800 m free because I’m a quitter?” she tells me, snorting. “I told you my dad wanted to check your shoulder.”

“Sayuri…”

“Come on, let’s go.”

As soon as we go inside, Sayuri yells “Dad, I’m home! I brought my boyfriend and he’s dressed like a model, so don’t embarrass yourself!”

I feel like banging my head against the wall. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” his father says, yawning as he strolls into the hallway. He’s wearing a dark blue chinese hanfu and Sayuri whistles when she sees him. He looks unbelievable young and he’s as tall as I am.

“Nice, dad, you look like a model, too,” she comments and the urge to bang my head against the wall intensifies. This relaxed atmosphere makes me even more nervous about meeting him.

I bow when I see him. “Good evening, Sakamoto – san.”

He chuckles, brushing a hand through his chestnut hair. “Call me Ryujiro, don’t be so formal.” He shivers. “I’m not that old to be called Sakamoto – san.” Sayuri snorts as she walks past him and he whimpers. “Such a cruel daughter,” he mutters, shaking his head. “Are you two hungry?” he asks me next, inviting me in.

“No, thank you, we just ate,” I reply, smiling.

“Oh, you took Hydra on a date? Brave man,” he jokes. “What did you guys eat?”

“Sushi.”

He snorts. “That’s like appetizer for Sayuri,” he comments, swinging an arm over my shoulders.

I roll my eyes internally, because the amount of sushi Sayuri ate is the amount of a three course meal, but okay. 

Ryujiro leads me to the kitchen, where we found Sayuri sitting on the counter, a plate with a huge piece of cake on it.

“Dad, you made fluffy cheesecake! I love you so much!” she exclaims. “Sousuke, you must try it,” she says, pushing a spoonful of it in my mouth before I even have the chance to refuse.

I blink, surprised. I’m not a fan of sweets, but this is quite good.

“Do you want more?” she asks and I shake my head.

“Well, then, seems like your boyfriend doesn’t have a black hole for a stomach. Sousuke, let’s go into my office so I we can talk about your shoulder,” Ryujiro tells me. 

“Can I come too?” Sayuri asks.

“I’m sure you’ll get to see him naked later,” her father comments.

For a second, I think I didn’t hear it correctly, but I can’t fool my brain any longer. That’s exactly what he said. Sayuri has no reaction whatsoever, but I pray the ground opens up and swallows me whole.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So, what did he say?” Sayuri asks me on our way to my apartment.

I had to go through another excruciatingly embarrassing moment, when she told her dad that she’s having a sleepover at my apartment. A fucking sleepover, who talks like that?

“I don’t appreciate you forcing me to do this, but…I’m grateful at the same time, too,” I tell her. “I think…I think I should accept the surgery.”

Sayuri slams on the brakes so suddenly that I’m sure I would’ve flown through the windshield if I didn’t wear my seat belt. Then, she throws her arms around me, hugging me tight enough to suffocate me.

“I’m so happy, Sousuke! I’m so happy! You’ll see, everything will be okay and you’ll be able to make your dream come true,” she says, her face buried in the crook of my neck. “I know I bullied you into doing it, but I’m so happy about the result.”

“Yeah,” I reply, smiling. “Me too.”

For the first time in the past year, I feel hopeful.


	18. Ikuya's POV

“You’ve checked that phone ten times, Ikuya.”

A part of me wants to be a jerk and tell Hiyori to mind his own fucking business and stop pestering me, but the other part acknowledges that he’s right. Asami is supposed to be coming back to Tokyo today, but she hasn’t texted me all day. 

The auburn haired swimmer sighs. “Let’s have a race, maybe it will take your mind off things.”

“Ah, she texted me!”

Hiyori sighs again, shaking his head, then dives into the swimming pool without me. He’s been trying to motivate me with races all day, but to no avail. I’m distracted and insecure, because Asami is my first girlfriend and my ice skating idol on top of everything.

I take a deep breath and count to thirty, then open the message and read it. Then, I count to thirty before I type a quick reply, as if I hadn’t been checking the phone every five minutes.

Asami replies immediately and I feel stupid about waiting to read and reply to her message.

Kick Hiyori out. I’ll sleep at your place tonight.

Even after already having had sex with her, I still blush, choke or gasp when she says things like that. I type, delete and type again. What the hell do I reply to this?

Ok.

Good job, Kirishima. Out of all the things you could’ve said.

Get ready, babe. You’re tying me up tonight.

Fuck! I cover the display with one hand, unable to look at the message for too long.

“Ikuya.” 

I raise my head to look at Hiyori, who’s standing in front of me, water dripping all around him. 

“Hm?”

He bends down, a grin creeping all over his face. “You’ve got a boner.”

“I fucking hate you.” My cheeks feel like burning.

“Want me to take your phone back to the locker so you can finally train?”

“I still hate you,” I reply, then dive into the water as soon as the phone is out of my hands. “Find somewhere else to sleep,” I add after I resurface, smiling in satisfaction when his grin falters.

I dive back underwater, missing his response.

~~~~~~~~~~

“How about you don’t message me like that when I’m in public?” I say instead of a greeting as I approach the rink.

Asami just smiles and slides closer to the edge, my arms immediately wrapping around her when she’s close enough. I lower my head to kiss her and she chuckles against my lips.

“I’m sorry,” she replies, on a tone that suggests the exact opposite. 

“I bet you are,” I reply, kissing her again. “Did you have fun in Hasetsu?” I ask, gently caressing her cheek. I can’t help but notice the faint dark circles under her eyes.

“I didn’t waste my time with sleeping, if that’s what you’re asking,” she says, winking. “But my programs are basically complete, choreo and all. I’ll just refine them one competition after the other, as I usually do. My coach trusts me.”

I nod, smiling. I can’t wait to see her perform.

“Skate with me,” she suddenly says and I flinch. “Oh, come on, it will be fun and romantic,” she insists, not the least bit discouraged by my grimace.

“I was seven the last time my parents took me to ice skate. All I remember is my brother laughing his ass off because I kept falling.”

“I’m a gold medalist and still fall,” she retorts. “Go rent some skates and come back The rink closes in half an hour.”

I relent eventually and rent some skates, then reluctantly make my way back to the ice rink. Asami chooses that exact moment to perform a flawless quad Salchow, as if to mock me. However, I have to admit I am a bit of a hypocrite, because I shamelessly kept showing off when we swam together.

I let out a big sigh, then step on the ice. Asami immediately slides next to me and grabs onto my forearms, slowly and carefully pulling me towards the center of the rink.

“See? You didn’t fall. In fact, your posture is quite good,” she encourages me, then lets go of my forearms and grabs my hand, motioning for us to glide around together.

I snort. “I bet. I should switch to ice skating and forget about swimming.”

Asami slaps my shoulder, sticking her tongue out. “I tried to be nice, but okay. You look like you’ve got something up your arse, then. And your knees are rusted. And…”

“Okay, okay, I’ve got it,” I stop here, wincing. “I take it back, I’m sorry, even though I don’t know what I’m sorry for, but it doesn’t matter, I apologize,” I add, rolling my eyes.

Asami throws her head back, laughing. “Well, if you’re so nice to me, I’ll perform something for you.”

I raise an eyebrow, my thoughts immediately going to a blow job on the ice. I mentally slap myself and wonder when did I become such a pervert. I shake my head, my hand automatically going to my pocket, where my phone is.

“Go ahead,” she says, laughing. “You and your little fetish.”

She slides away from me and I pull out my phone. Asami pushes her hair behind her ears, then elegantly raises her arms above her head. I press play and start recording her, slowly spinning in place as she skates around me. 

Then the last thing I expected happens. Asami starts singing.

_Fall from the sky for me  
Bathe me in gold, baby  
High like you, get me higher  
Burn me up with your fire. _

She picks up her pace, getting ready for a jump and it turns out to be a quad Lutz. She lands perfectly and slides around some more, before she starts singing again.

_I’m alone in the starlight  
Are you bored with your high life?  
Come with me, do you wanna?  
Wanna feel like you wanna. _

Asami stops and takes a breath, then a quadruple flip follows. I’m so concentrated on filming her that I even forget about my inexperience with the skates. I keep spinning around in place, careful not to miss even a moment.

_Whatever this night will be  
Don’t care what the morning means  
Wherever you take me  
Make me feel like somebody  
Even if it’s just tonight  
Light me up like I’m holly  
Woah, woah, so bright  
Make me feel like somebody  
Leave heaven in the sky tonight  
Give me forever for right now  
Make me feel like somebody! _

She ends her performance with a camel spin, then shapes a heart with her fingers as she blows me a kiss. I end the video, grinning. “I’m posting this one on my Insta.”

Asami stares at me, her mouth agape. “You wouldn’t dare.” She skates fast towards me and tries to take my phone, but I raise my hand above my head. 

“Ikuya! I look like shit, don’t post it,” she yells, doing her best to reach the phone.

“That’s not true, you’re really cute,” I retort.

“You asked for it,” Asami says, then pushes her hands under my T shirt and starts tickling me.

It takes me exactly three seconds to lose my balance and fall. Not only that, I manage to pull her down with me as well. However, she’s still unable to pry the phone out of my hands.

“Okay, fine! You have my permission to post it,” she tells me, sighing. “But I want something in return!”

My finger freezes above the screen, one second away from sharing the video on my Instagram page. “Like what?”

“The first photo shoot I’m offered, no matter what theme, you do it with me.”

My eyes widen. “I think 90% of your photo shoots are in bathing suits or lingerie.”

She shrugs. “Or I could say yes to a nude one, just to spite you.”

I brush a hand through my hair, gripping it. “What? No, no, no!”

“Oh well, I’m sorry, Ikuya, but I’m not letting you post the video, then.”

I look at her for a few seconds, pondering the implications. My popularity online will surely grow if I do a photo shoot with Japan’s female gold medalist. 

I close on eye and wince as I share the video on my Insta, then let out a deep sigh. “Fine, I accept.”

A creepy grin shapes her lips as she stares at me. Without breaking eye contact, she skates backwards until she reaches the edge, waving at me in a really fucking creepy way.

“What are you doing?” I ask, suddenly concerned.

She looks away only while she searches her small backpack for her phone, then skates back to me, her eyes fixed on mine, the creepy grin still on. When she’s so close to me that our bodies almost touch, she calls someone.

“Fujikata – san? Yes, it’s me, sorry to bother you. I’m actually calling because I have great news. I found a partner for that photo shoot you called me about yesterday.”

I bawl my eyes out as she hums and chuckles.

“Yes. Yes, exactly. Oh, you’ll love his body, perfectly sculpted muscles everywhere, he’s a swimmer. Okay, then, perfect! See you next week.” She ends the call and looks up at me. “Done. We’ll be the new face of a Japanese brand, but I won’t tell you which one, so you don’t freak out.” Asami starts laughing. “Don’t look so freaked out! It’s going to be so much fun, you’ll see.”

“I hate having my picture taken,” I mutter, shaking my head. 

Asami hums, throwing her hair over her shoulder. “Oh well, Fujikata – san is not the best photographer when it comes to newbies, but I’ll be there, so…no worries!” She types some messages on her phone, then closes it. “There, I let Ritsu know as well. He’ll be in Tokyo in time for the photo shoot, he always comes to watch.” She takes my hand again. “Let’s skate some more, we’ve got a few minutes left.”

I’m too caught up in all this photo shoot thing so when she drags me after her, I stumble on my own feet and fall on my back, legs up and everything.

Her laughter is so loud that it echoes in the whole building.


	19. Hiyori's POV

I can’t believe Ikuya shamelessly kicked me out of our dorm room. Luckily, our team captain Tsubasa and I used to be childhood friends and he let me sleep in his room for the night. However, he’ll only come to his around midnight because of his part time job at a restaurant.

This leaves me with about five hours to kill. The only good part about Ikuya’s date night is that I get to roam the nearby libraries at my own pace.

“I’m so unlucky,” I mutter to myself when I get out of the fourth library I visit. She’s nowhere to be found. I have a sudden idea to go check the library inside the Uni, since it’s the last one I’m willing to visit tonight, I’m getting tired. 

I can’t believe my luck when I get there and spot her.There are lots of people studying or searching for books inside, making it easy for me to blend after I enter behind two guys, preventing her from observing me.

I feel like a stalker – Ikuya and his ideas – as I follow her around the library, hiding among shelves and pretending to check out random books when I suspect she notices me. She doesn’t, however, look in my direction, not even once, she’s too preoccupied with checking countless books.

I can’t help but think how easy it is to stalk someone and they don’t even notice. What if I have a stalker and I have no idea about it? It’s quite terrifying to think about it. I shake my head, running both hand through my hair and adjusting my glasses. My conspiracy theories have to wait, because I’ve lost sight of her.

Ah, there she is. She’s writing something on a piece of paper, then she places it back inside a book, then puts it back on its shelf, where it belongs. I can’t believe my fucking luck, she just returned a book to the University library! The rules is that you have to write your name in the form that’s inside every book, so people know all the time who read it.

I have to control myself and wait patiently, hidden where I am, until she picks up another book and goes to one of the empty tables. Only after I’m positive she’s totally absorbed by the book do I make my way to the book she returned, carefully pulling it out and opening it, searching for the form. And there it is, the precious name I’ve been looking for.

Kinjou Hanabi.

~~~~~~~~~~

I hate that name. I hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with it ever again. I also hate myself for how it makes me feel.

I sigh, dropping my head as I slowly sway on a swing in the kid’s park across the main building of my University. All this effort and for nothing.

“Hello, Mr. Stalker.”

I don’t raise my head as I hear her, the gray eyed mystery girl, Hanabi, approach me from behind.

“How long were you following me in that library?” she asks, sitting in the swing next to mine. “I have to give it to you, I had no idea you were there until you ran out like a pack of demons was following you.”

“I’m not in the mood for you little jokes,” I say, my voice sharp. “I also don’t appreciate being lied to.”

“What’s gotten into you, Hiyori?” She sounds surprised.

“You told me you were at the College Championships because you wanted to watch your brother swim, but that was a lie, wasn’t it? There was no Kinjou swimming backstroke against me. Also, his specialty used to be butterfly, not back.”

Hanabi gets up from her swing and stands in front of them. “What the hell are you talking about?”

I raise my head to look at her, suddenly disconcerted by her expression. She looks genuinely confused and on the brink of anger as I keep throwing accusations at her.

“I’m talking about your actual brother, Kinjou Kaede,” I explain.

Her eyes widen. “You know Kaede?”

“Unfortunately. So, what is this time? What is he planning to embarrass me this time?” I ask, suddenly bored of this whole situation.

“Kaede and I are not related by blood, we just share the Kinjou family name because my dad married his mom and they decided to keep her family name,” Hanabi tells me angrily. “Don’t just assume shit on your own!”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I share, you share,” she demands, pointing her finger at me. “Equivalent exchange, otherwise I’m not interested.”

I scoff. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, Hiyori,” she sighs, sitting back on the swing. “So, what did Kaede do to you?”

I take my time, pondering. In case it’s all a sick joke that they’re playing, I won’t be telling her anything new, but there’s also a huge possibility I’ve just accused her of something she hasn’t done.

“I don’t do well with bullying,” I settle on saying. “It’s cruel, pointless and has the potential to leave you scarred.”

“Did Kaede bully you?”

“Enough to make me attend high school in the US,” I reply, trying to block the memories that just resurfaced. “Well, then, your turn.”

“Fair enough. My parents divorced when I was younger, I stayed with my dad, whereas my brother chose mom and took the name of her new husband. He’s Oda Shinobu.”

Oh. There was indeed a guy named Oda Shinobi that swam backstroke.

“So, are you happy now?” Hanabi asks. “Are you coming to see Sushi, like we’ve decided when we started playing this game?”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to see Kaede.”

“He’s not living there, relax already. I barely know the guy, even though we’re supposedly siblings. I told you, Hiyori, I’m basically living alone because my parents are almost always on business trips. They work for the same company.”

I sigh, somehow unwilling to take the risk. I hate this part of me that’s still scared to deal with Kaede in any way.

“Anyways, why are you homeless?” she asks, chuckling as she points to my bag.

“I’m just staying with a friend tonight,” I reply.

“Why, did Ikuya kick you out?” she teases, still laughing. “All the more reason to come visit Sushi. Don’t make me eat dinner by myself, Hiyori, what kind of gentleman are you?”

I sigh for the hundreth time tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~

Turns out Hanabi didn’t lie to me about anything, I was just overreacting. As soon as she opens the door to her huge house, I hear a tiny meow. I look down, smiling when I see Sushi, my small ball of fur. I pick her up, rubbing my cheek on her soft gray fur.

“She’s so cute,” I exclaim when the kitten nestles into the crook of my neck, just like the night I found her. “I can’t believe you’re alone most of the time in this huge, somehow creepy house.”

Hanabi chuckles. “I’m a horror movie fan, so imagine what if feels like after a really scary one.”

“You’re so weird,” I comment. “Why scare yourself like that?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? The best way to get rid of the feeling of being alone is watching a horror movie. Then, you don’t feel like you’re alone in the dark anymore,” she explains, laughing when she sees my face.

“What the actual fuck,” I mutter to myself, shaking my head. 

“So, what do you want to eat?” Hanabi asks, opening the fridge. “Or we could order.”

I step closer to her and check the things inside the fridge. “Let’s not waste all these ingredients, better cook something.” I take one look at her face and immediately sigh. “I can cook dinner for us, take-out girl.”

“I knew it was a good idea to invite you here,” she says, giggling as she takes the cat from my arms. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Be honest, what do you cook for yourself?”

She looks me dead in the eyes as she says “Toast.”

I’ve never laughed as much in my entire life. “I’m sorry, what? You can cook toast? That’s so cute. Well, then, if you want to help me, please direct me to where everything is and keep me company.”

Hanabi sits on the counter, the kitten still in her arms as she begins to tell me where everything I need is. Her eyes become wider and wider as I chop off vegetables and start preparing the fish – I’m definitely showing off and cooking salt broiled fish and stir fried vegetables.

The brunette rubs at her eyes as she watches my every move. “Hiyori, are you for real? Am I dreaming?” She pushes a hand towards me, pinching my cheek. 

I push her hand away. “You’re supposed to be pinching yourself, you know?”

She sticks her tongue out and I start laughing when Sushi raises her paw and tries to swat at Hanabi’s tongue. 

“You little terrorist,” she says, grabbing Sushi’s paws. “You should see her stealing food, she’s like a ninja.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m sure she’s terrifying.”

We keep chatting while I get the food ready for us and I appreciate that she doesn’t ask me anything about Kaede anymore. I don’t want to let the memories resurface, I want them to stay buried.

“So, what are we watching?” Hanabi asks, placing her laptop on the huge, ten person table we are eating at. 

“Impress me with a horror movie,” I reply, taking off my glasses.

“Hm, how about Train to Busan?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No disgusting zombies, I’m eating.

“The Ring? The Grudge?”

“I’ve already watched them, they are popular.”

Hanabi pouts. “You’re so difficult to please. Then how about…oh, this seems good. In the tall grass, have you seen it?”

“No, I’m okay with it.”

“Finally,” she groans, starting the movie and picking up her chopsticks. “Itadakimasu!” Hanabi lets out a content sigh. “Oh wow, Hiyori. Forget about swimming, you need to become a chef.”

I chuckle, watching her as she tries to keep Sushi from stealing a piece of fish off her place. 

“Sushi, come here,” I call, picking up a piece of fish from my plate and baiting the cat with it. “Some of us are not that selfish.”

Hanabi, though, is faster than the cat. I almost drop my chopsticks in surprise when she lunges over the table and closes her mouth against the piece of fish. She’s so close to me that I can see the different shades of gray that comprise her iris.

I blink, looking at her and she smiles sheepishly, shrugging. “It’s too good to share with Sushi, I’m sorry,” she mutters, her eyes dropping on my lips. 

The next thing I know is that my palm is on her nape, pressing her closer to me as I kiss her hungrily. I place both hands on her waist, picking her up from her chair and pulling her into my lap, then I deepen the kiss, my tongue moving along her bottom lip.

I break the kiss as suddenly as I started it and we’re both gasping for air.

“So, uhm…I guess it wasn’t all in my head,” she finally says and I raise an eyebrow. “I wasn’t sure you liked me.”

“Why?”

“Well, uhm…Sayuri told me you made out with a girl at a party, soon after you and I met.”

I wince. “In my defense, I was drunk.”

It’s her turn to raise an eyebrow. “I thought you had just hurt your back during practice?”

We’re both laughing and I shake my head. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

Hanabi nods. “The lamest excuse in history.” She lowers her head, pressing her lips to mine again. “So, is there anything between you and that girl?”

“No, I don’t even know her name.” I realize what that sounds like the second it comes out of my mouth. 

I let out a very unmanly yell when Hanabi pinches my side, her long nails stinging me.

“Rude, Hiyori!” she exclaims, laughing at my yell. “Very rude.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be. I’ll forgive you if you make me dinner again tomorrow. Deal?” she asks, pushing her hand towards me.

“Deal,” I reply, shaking her head with mine. “Now let’s eat and rewind that movie.”

“Fine. Oh, you’re also sleeping here tonight. I would feel like a horrible host to kick you out after you cooked for me.”

“Fine.” 

We eat dinner holding hands.


	20. Asami's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Monday smut! :D

I throw my head back over the edge of the bed, whimpering Ikuya’s name as he thrusts hard into me. The orgasm hits me hard when his hand latches onto my throat, squeezing lightly, because he’s still afraid not to actually hurt me.

He grabs me by the hair and yanks my head up, then covers my lips with his, swallowing my moans. My whole body is shaking while he’s still pushing into me, chasing his own release.

Ikuya buries his face in the crook of my neck, slamming his hips into mine one last time as he comes too, groaning into my skin.

“Turn around,” he tells me, his voice husky, barely five minutes later.

I do as I’m told, chuckling in excitement that the fun isn’t over. Ikuya grabs my hands and starts wrapping the thick red ribbon around my wrists. When he’s sastisfied with my hands, he ties the other end to the bed frame. He grabs onto my tied wrists, pulling hard against the restraints, testing them. 

“Fuck, you really did it,” I comment, chuckling as I pull on the restraints myself. “I’m actually unable to free myself, what the hell?” It suddenly hits me. “You did your research!” I exclaim and he starts laughing.

“Your message intrigued me, I have to admit,” he says. “Have you ever done this before?”

I shake my head. “I’ve told you from the start, I’m trying only new things with you.”

“Well then, how about we try some other new thing,” he tells me, positioning himself behind me. “Just tell me if you hate it and I’ll stop.”

I can’t believe it took him such a short amount of time to switch from shy and inexperienced to a curious pervert, but my attitude probably influenced him. I’ve always been like this, open to new experiences. It’s hard to stay shy when your partner’s the furthest away from shy as possible.

Ikuya places his lips at the nape of my neck and starts to slowly kiss his way down my spine. He places both hands on my breasts, squeezing them and kneading on them lightly, then pinching the nipples when he reaches the middle of my spine.

I arch into him, whimpering and he moves one hand between my legs. He gives my skin a final kiss, then wraps one arm around my waist, restraining this way the rest of my body.

I struggle tentatively and discover that I have little to none freedom. This is exciting as fuck.

He starts slowly, rubbing my clit with one of his fingers in circular motions. Ikuya picks up the pace gradually, but I’m losing my mind, I’m already sensitive. 

“I love your fingers,” I confess, speaking before I can think about it. “One of the first things I’ve noticed about you. Those long, elegant fingers of yours, I wanted them to…”

My voice breaks into a moan when he slides one finger inside of me. I struggle against him, pulling on the restraint on my hands hard. Ikuya tightens his arm around my waist, pressing his body against the back of my legs, perfectly keeping me in place. 

“You have a tendency to tell me things you like about me in the heat of the moment,” he replies, chuckling. “I kind of like it.”

He starts circling my clit again and I push against him, moaning and whimpering as he picks up the pace and presses on it harder.

I’m close, I know it and I want him to enter me. I open my mouth, ready to request a hard fuck, when he removes his fingers from me. Completely.

A yell of frustration escapes my lips as I feel my imminent orgasm disappearing. I turn my head to look at him and swear. “You’re edging me?!”

“Do you hate it?” he asks, genuine concern in his eyes. This boy, oh no. He’s trouble. 

I ponder for a second, then shake my head. 

His lips spread in a grin. “Okay, then.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” I begin, taking Ikuya’s hand and playing with his fingers. 

I haven’t been able to pay attention to the movie we decided to watch, because of all the thoughts that were pestering me. And I thought, oh well, this is as good a time as any. 

Ikuya pauses the movie, pushing his laptop to the side, all his attention focused on me. “What is it, love?”

I don’t know if it’s because of the way he looks at me or the way he called me…I can’t do it. Not right now. I just can’t.

“That first time we met…I don’t know for sure, but for a second, it seemed to me like you were drowning,” I say, even though this isn’t what I meant to tell him.

The teal haired man presses his lips together, his face clouding for a second. He shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair and pulling on it a bit. “It’s…something that happens to me when I’m stressed. I almost drowned twice, actually. The first time, I was in elementary school and Haru saved me, then the second time it was Hiyori who pulled me out. We were both in the States.”

I intertwine our fingers, squeezing his hand. “Thank you for sharing.”

Ikuya chuckles. “I feel like we’re with Alcoholics Anonymous or something,” he comments and I slap his thigh. “Your turn, then, Hebi – chan.” He lifts my left arm, taking in my cobra snake tattoo.

I take a deep breath and tell him how Masamune, my former partner, caused the injury on my left forearm.

“Cobra snakes symbolizes transformation and determination, among others. When I had this tattoo done, I promised myself I’ll never depend on others, I’ll move forward on my own, never hope for something, but work hard in order to achieve it, no matter what,” I conclude, exposing my palm so he can see the head of the snake better.

“I notice something like this when you said you want to master the quadruple Axel,” he comments, smiling. “You said it with great confidence.”

Stop looking at me like this, I want to tell him. You make me feel so guilty, Ikuya. Why did you have to be such an amazing guy?

“Thank you,” I settle on saying. “Ice skating is everything to me, all that matters,” I begin, but then a knot forms in my neck. I’m going to cry if I continue.

Ikuya seems to notice my mood and misinterpret, because he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a tight hug. “I know, Asami. I understand.”

No, you don’t. I look up, forcing my tears back as I hug him back. No, Ikuya, you don’t understand. I’m trying to tell you that when All – Japan Invitational ends and I leave Tokyo, our fun is over.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ve never seen you skate so shitty,” Sayuri says after watching me fall after every jump I attempt.

“You were supposed to come at 7 pm, you’re one hour early,” I retort, sighing as I glide to the edge of rink. “Never mind, I might as well finish since I’m doing so poorly.”

“Is there something on your mind?”

I angrily drop myself on a bench and start to untie my skates. “I’m starving.”

“Sousuke, my dad and I will leave to the US after All – Japan,” she suddenly tells me. “My dad will operate on his shoulder.”

I raise my head. “That’s amazing! How did you convince him? Sousuke brushed everyone off every time someone tried to even suggest it.”

Sayuri chuckles. “You know how bad he is with directions, right?” She kneels in front of me when she sees me struggling with the skates and helps me untie them. 

“Thank you,” I mutter, letting out a sigh when the damn skates are finally off. “Yeah, the man is hopeless.”

“Well, I drove him to my house and kinda forced him inside,” she explains.

I throw my head back, laughing and she joins me. “You’re something else,” I compliment her. “What was your dad wearing this time?”

“A Chinese hanfu, he’s been obsessed with them lately. He looks so good in them, you’ll see tonight. He’s also preparing a Chinese feast for us.”

“I love Ryuji – san,” I say and she chuckles. 

“So, what’s on your mind that prevents you from landing your jumps?” Sayuri asks me as we’re walking to her car.

I’m quiet for a few seconds, then mutter “How do you end something that you don’t want to end?”

My best friend drops her car keys in shock. “I’m sorry, what now? Did you hit your head on the ice or something?” She bends down and takes her keys off the ground, then unlocks the car. “You just don’t end it, moron,” she answers when we’re both inside.

“You know my rule.”

“Fuck your rule,” she retorts, stepping hard on the gas pedal as she starts the car. “Do what makes you happy, for once in your life.”

“Ice skating makes me happy,” I mutter, wincing when she hits the top of my head. “Sayuri, knock it off!”

“Look, we’ve had our share of fun, we’ve fucked pretty much everyone we liked, but isn’t it time we just…you know…settle for one guy?”

I roll my eyes. “Just say you’re in love with Sousuke already, not that there’s someone on this planet that doesn’t know.”

“This isn’t about me, you bitch, it’s about you,” Sayuri says, shaking her head. “You’re starting to have feelings for Ikuya, but you’re too fucking stubborn to realize. There’s more to this life than just gold medals.” She sighs. “Just think about it, okay? I’m your friend, I’m on your side and I support you whatever you do, all I want is make sure you’re not going to regret it.”

“Thanks, Sayuri. I truly appreciate it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryujiro picks me up in tight embrace as soon as I enter his house. “Asami – chan, my other cruel daughter, I’ve missed you so much!” he exclaims, spinning around with me in my arms.

He’s wearing a dark crimson hanfu that looks amazing on him, so I make sure to compliment his choice of clothing as soon as he puts me down.

“Don’t spoil her, she’s a handful already.”

I raise my head, surprised. “Ritsu – san?”

My coach grins as he approaches me. “Surprise!”

I shake my head. “Weren’t you supposed to be here in two days? You told me to come meet you at the airport, too.”

He shrugs, brushing a hand through his dark chestnut hair, revealing the five piercings on his left ear as he does that. “I may have talked to Victor and he told me you’ve been practicing the quad Axel. That, and Ryuji told me he will cook Chinese tonight, so…”

I roll my eyes. “So that’s why we’re having a Chinese feast for dinner tonight,” I comment, turning my attention to Sayuri, who’s pretending not to see me.

My coach, Ritsu, a rebellious former ice skater covered in piercing and tattoos is actually Ryuji’s younger brother and Sayuri’s uncle. He’s always dressed in ripped jeans and oversized T shirts and he’s so damn hot. Ritsu puts all of us to shame when it comes to screaming fans.

“Your mom called today, she said she’ll do her best to come to Tokyo in time for All – Japan,” Ryujiro tells Sayuri and she shrugs.

“I’m fine with you three,” she says. “She hasn’t called me in like three weeks, so I’m not expecting much,” she explains and I roll my eyes. 

“Cancel all your plans, my dear student,” Ritsu tells me as he swings an arm over my shoulders. “Tomorrow, at 5 am, we start training. If I don’t get you to land the quad Axel and make history, I’ll shave my head and remove all my piercings.”

I groan and Sayuri and her father start laughing. 

“However,” Ritsu says as he leads me to the dining room. “I want to play our game from last year as well. You’ll start with a double Axel and I’ll let you turn it into a triple Axel only of you land it in two competitions. Then, we’ll add the quad Axel only in the Grand Prix Final.”

I nod. “We played this game with Salchow,” I tell Ryuji, who stares at us confused. 

“Oh yeah, I remember,” Sayuri intervenes as she offers Ritsu a plate of spring rolls. “You performed fives quads in total last year, at the Grand Prix Final, right? And when you started performing, you had no quads.”

“Yup,” I reply, stealing a spring roll before Ritsu can slap my hand. I stick my tongue out at him, stealing another one when he isn’t looking.

“We’re doing the exact thing this year, turn your jumps into quads one by one, because I know you can do it.” He leans into his chair, smiling as he plays with one of his piercings. “I can imagine it already, all those interviews, because my lovely student, the one and only I’ve ever accepted, makes history at the Grand Prix Final.”

I snort. “Come back to Earth, Ritsu – sama. There’s still a long way to go.”

Secretly, though, I’m picturing the exact same thing.


	21. Yurio's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M/M smut ahead!

“I’m so sorry you have to leave,” Asami whines, clinging to Katsudon.

I roll my eyes and Otabek elbows me in the side. “Don’t be jealous, Kot. She loves you the most, that’s why you’re the last one she hugs.”

I scoff. “I’m going to slap her, I don’t want to be hugged. I hate hugs,” I mutter.

The bloody Kazakh starts laughing when Asami wraps her arms around me, burying her face in my neck and kissing me about a million times. “I’m going to miss you so much, Yuratchka. We’re not going to see each other until the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow.”

I gently caress her back, clearing my voice. “Be happy you don’t have to face me in the rink.”

The brunette laughs, nodding as she pats the top of my head. “I’m going to watch all your performances,” she tells me.

“Yeah, same,” I reply, trying to step on Otabek’s foot and failing.

“Take care of you, Asami,” Victor tells her. “Thank you for bringing us to the airport.”

“Good luck to your brother and other friends,” Katsudon adds, smiling next to Victor.

One last wave and we part ways. I groan when Beka swings an arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. “Why do you insist on being affectionate in public?”

“Because you hate it,” he replies nonchalantly.

I want to punch him in the face.

~~~~~~~~~~

I throw my head back, moaning harder and harder as Otabek pushes one finger inside of me. He brushes his thumb over the tip of my dick, teasing me while he presses his lips to the nape of my neck.

I arch my back, dropping my head into the pillow and hiding my face as I let out a particularly loud scream when he replaces his finger with his dick.

“You’re so into it today,” he comments, slowly moving his hips until he’s fully sheathed.

“Shut the fuck up, Beka” I bite out between whimpers. 

He grips me by the hair and forces me up on my knees, angling my body so he can push into me in slow, hard thrusts. Beka circles my waist with one arm, keeping me in place as he slams his hips into mine, his other hand moving leisurely on my length.

I push my head back, resting it on his shoulder. I grit my teeth when he bites my shoulder and the side of my neck, hard enough to leave marks. 

“Oh, you didn’t yell at me,” he murmurs on my skin, his arm tightening around me.

“Shut up, Beka,” I retort, whimpering when he rolls his hips in a particular hard thrust. “I know.” I turn my head, closing my eyes when his lips touch mine.

Otabek’s hand is moving faster and faster, his fist squeezing onto the tip of my dick. I fall forward as I find my release, his arm around me the only thing keeping me upright.

The Kazakh turns me around, pushing me on my back and he makes room for himself between my legs. He presses his lips on my abdomen, kissing his way up to my lips.

“More,” I beg, my voice breaking when he swings one of my legs over his shoulder and slides into me again. “Beka!”

“I love you,” he murmurs, face buried in the crook of my neck as he picks up the pace. 

My whole body tenses, just like the last time he said it, in Tokyo. I moan when he sinks his teeth in the juncture between neck and shoulder and gasp when he raises his head and looks right into my eyes.

“I love you, Yuri,” he tells me again, lowering his head to kiss me. “I love you.”

I wrap both arms around him, pulling him closer as he thrusts into me harder and faster, his rhythm faltering. He’s close, too. I arch my body off the mattress, crying out when the new angle is maddening and I think I’m going to come again.

It takes one last thrust, almost painful, to push us both over the edge, Otabek’s teeth buried deep in my shoulder. I push my nails into his skin, crying out his name as I reach my climax again, whimpering when he rolls to his side and pulls me into his arms. My body hurts all over.

“I love you, too…I think,” I whisper almost inaudibly, in the heat of the moment.

Beka tenses, slowly raising his head to look at me. “What did you say, Yura?”

I hide my face in his chest and he chuckles, kissing my forehead as he ruffles my blond hair. “I know you do. It’s okay, you don’t need to tell me…”

“I love you, now shut the fuck up and let me sleep,” I interrupt him in my own rude way that I’m very proud of, thank you very much.

Beka’s laughter is pissing me off.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I was really surprised you chose a stopover flight instead of a direct one,” Otabek tells me, all smiles because I let him hold my hand in public. “I was really happy, though.”

We’re having dinner in a dimly lit private booth in a restaurant in London and I didn’t have the heart to refuse when he took my hand. We only have three hours left and then I’m supposed to be leaving. Just like last year, we won’t compete together until the Grand Prix Final. That means we won’t be able to see each other, either. Well, technically.

“I won’t bother you with calls, don’t worry,” he says, misinterpreting the grimace on my face.

I shake my head. “Skype calls are fine,” I mutter, looking away when he smiles again. 

Beka brushes his thumb over my knuckles before he raises my hand to his lips. “I’m going to miss you a lot. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do my best to win gold.”

“I would hate you otherwise,” I answer honestly. “Are you making an attempt at the quad Axel as well?”

The brunet starts laughing. “I don’t know, are you?”

“As if I would answer that,” I retort, making him laugh even louder. “I’ll cut your tongue off if you keep laughing.”

I hate it when he laughs. I just can’t stop looking at him when he does it. I hate it when he holds my hand, but I feel empty inside when he lets go because the waitress is here with our food.

“You won’t see the others until the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, right?” Beka asks me, munching on his french fries.

“Mhm hmm,” I reply. I bite into my burger and make a face. “Best burger in London my ass.”

Otabek chuckles, tapping my forehead. “Don’t frown so much, Kot. You’ll start looking like an old Russian.”

“I just need better food, I’m not like you,” I reply, frowning again when he pets my head. “You’re meeting them sooner, right? Skate Canada,” I add, changing the subject.

“Yeah, I’ll see them at the charity event in Toronto, too.”

There’s something Otabek isn’t telling me and I know what it is. He’d like to say that he wishes I was there, too, to watch him skate, but he’ll never let something like that slip. We’re both athletes, we both aim for gold and for the Olympic teams of our respective contries. Our personal lives and feelings don’t matter when ice skating is involved.

Well, then, someone please tell me why I’ve already bought tickets for Toronto, convinced Yakov to let me go and threatened Victor to cut his dick off if he told anyone about this.


	22. Haru's POV

“Are you nervous?” Azuma asks me as he watches me get out of the pool.

It’s my last day of training before All – Japan Invitational and he decided that the only thing he wanted to see again is the 50 m free. He taught me something that guarantees my first place and I’m shaking with excitement at the though of using it tomorrow.

“Why would he be nervous?” Asami asks, throwing me a towel as she walks towards us. “He’ll win tomorrow, right?”

Azuma shrugs. “That only depends on him.” He takes one look at my sister and says “Check that right leg, you’re limping.”

I snap my head towards her, suddenly concerned, but she waves her hand. “It’s not the first time, I’ve just had some rough training today.”

“Take a break tomorrow,” he suggests as he walks away from us. “Don’t be late tomorrow, Nanase.”

“Are you okay?” I ask Asami, my tone serious. “Be honest.”

“I fell really bad, it’s nothing new,” she replies, sighing. “That quad Axel is giving me hell, I don’t land it properly. My coach is optimistic, though, he says I’m almost there, so I trust him,” motioning for me to go get changed.

“You don’t need to come see me tomorrow if you’d rather train,” I offer when I come back, but she shakes her head.

“Ritsu said the break is good for me. I’m leaving in two days anyways, I’ll train in Kyoto enough for the All-Japan Figure Skating Championships.” 

Due to her results last season, she gets to compete in the final directly.

“Uber?”

“Sayuri is picking us up,” she replies. “Is the dumb brainless shark coming over tonight?”

I roll my eyes. “Are you still mad at him?”

“Fucking hell, Haru, I’ve never seen bruises and bite marks like that and trust me, I’ve seen a lot of shit.”

“You punched him the mouth,” I remind her. “You split open his lip, I couldn’t kiss him for a week.”

She flips her hair. “I could’ve done worse damage, you know!”

I pass a hand over my face, dropping the subject. I can never win with her.

“Hey, Haru! Hi, bitch!” Sayuri calls as she waves her hands at us. 

She’s sitting on the hood of her car and for a second, I remember the time I fucked her on that exact spot. I shake my head, pushing the memory away. After All – Japan is over, I’ll tell Rin to go on a road trip with me. He still has that renter car, anyways.

“Excited for tomorrow?” Sayuri asks me, as soon as we’re all inside.

“I’m okay,” I reply and she rolls her eyes. 

“I can’t sit still! I’m going crazy, that’s why I offered to come pick you guys up. I think I’ll ask Sousuke to go on a run with me,” she mutters, as if talking to herself.

“Remember last year?” I point out and she groans.

“What happened last year?” Asami asks.

“She swam until midnight, tried to go to sleep, then got up at 2 am, ran 10 km and eventually ended up at my apartment, where she stayed up the rest of the night talking my ear off,” I reply.

“Ah, I thought you fucked like rabbits all night.”

I let out a deep sigh and Sayuri starts laughing. “No, we never had sex before a competition. It’s a rule we’re all abiding by. My dad wasn’t in Tokyo and Haru was sweet enough to not kick me out that night,” she says.

I take my phone out, annoyed that I don’t have any messages fom Rin. He didn’t text me all day. 

“Is that Rin?” Sayuri asks as she slows down the car when we approach my apartment building.

“And Ikuya,” Asami adds, her face turning pale. For some reason, she’s not fast to get out and go greet him when Sayuri stops the car.

“Rin,” I call him, smiling as I get out of the car. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugs, running a hand through his crimson hair. “I just felt like seeing you,” he replies, blushing a bit. 

“I’ll end you if you do anything to him,” Asami threatens him.

Rin winces, raising his hands up. “I said I was sorry! I won’t do anything, I promise.”

Ikuya chuckles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Asami, can we talk? You ignored all my messages today.”

My sister is acting really weird around Ikuya, she’s no longer affectionate with him. I wonder if they fought or something; she refused to tell me anything.

“I’ve been busy, sorry,” she replies, unable to look him in the eyes. 

Ikuya flinches and remains quiet for a few seconds. “Are you tired or do you want to walk a little with me?”

“Yeah, sure,” she says, handing me her gym bag and her skates. “Thank you. Sayuri, see you tomorrow!”

The chestnut haired girl holds her gaze a little more than necessary, as if they’re communicating with their eyes only. “Bye, guys.”

“What happened between them?” Rin asks me as we walk inside the apartment building.

“She refused to tell me,” I reply, shaking my head. “Are you hungry or something?”

“No,” Rin mutters, hugging me from behind when we’re inside my apartment. “I’m not here for any other reason than to be with you. I won’t stay long, don’t worry, but I just…”

I nod, grabbing onto his forearms. “I know. I’m glad you’re here.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I let out a content sigh when Rin runs his fingers through my hair, expertly massaging my scalp. The movie we chose is almost over and I’m debating whether to ask him to stay for another one when he asks “Can we watch another?”

I chuckle, closing my eyes. “I wanted to ask the same thing. But don’t get up yet, keep going,” I tell him, laying my head in his lap. 

Rin places his other hand on my abdomen and I cover it with mine, brushing my thumb over his knuckles.

“Are you still moving in with me after Asami leaves?”

The crimson haired man lowers his head to kiss me softly on the lips. “Yes, of course. Sousuke is leaving to the US with Sayuri and her dad. He’s finally having the surgery.”

I nod. “Yeah, Sayuri told me. I’m happy for him.”

I’m happier that he’s finally leaving Rin alone, but I don’t say it out loud.

“When are you two going to settle this thing between you?” Rin asks me, his hand stopping.

I rub my head against his hand and he starts laughing. “Okay, okay, sorry,” he murmurs, his fingers massaging my scalp again. 

“There’s no thing between us, he doesn’t like me and I don’t really give enough fucks to ask him why. He’s your friend, not mine. You don’t like Sayuri either and guess what, they’re dating.”

“It’s not that I don’t like her, I’m not particularly keen on becoming her friend or something,” he retorts.

“Well, same thing with me and Yamazaki,” I tell him, my tone suggesting the end of our conversation.

Rin clicks his tongue, but decides to drop the subject. He gets up eventually and walks to the kitchen to make some more popcorn for our second movie, when the door opens and Asami comes in. 

I get up and take a step towards her, but she raises her arm to stop me. “Everything is okay now. I didn’t wreck him, he’ll compete normally tomorrow.”

“I’m worried about you, Asami, what the hell’s going on with you?” I ask, frustrated. I’m used to her talking to me about everything.

“You know my rule, Haru.” She shakes her head. “I wanted to tell him that I don’t date anyone, but it never seemed to be a good time to do it, so tonight I couldn’t even mention it, because he’s going to fuck his races up tomorrow.” Asami lets out a deep sigh, dropping her head. “I’m an awful person, aren’t I?”

“Why don’t you date anyone?” Rin asks as he comes back to the living room.

“You can’t commit to a person and make the Olympic team, Rin,” she snaps, her eyes widening when she realizes what she just said. 

“You sound just like Sousuke,” he mutters, fixing his eyes on the bowl of popcorn he’s holding.

I can’t breathe. My sister’s words must have awoken something in Rin. I’ve always been afraid of him going back to thinking that he has to choose between me and his dream of making the Olympic team.

“You’re wrong, Asami. And Yamazaki is wrong, too,” I say, raising my voice. 

Both Asami and Rin look at me, surprised at my outburst.

“I’m sorry,” she says immediately, her eyes filling with tears. “I’ve had a rough couple of days, nothing works the way I want it too and I’ve taken it out on you guys. I’m sorry, please ignore what I’ve just said,” she mutters, turning on her heels and speeding past me, in the direction of her room.

The door slams behind her before I can say something to her.

“Do you really mean it?” Rin asks, approaching me. 

“We can make it work, Rin. I want you to swim free, I’ll never be a burden to you or let you become one for me. Just don’t forget to tell me if you want to leave, don’t let me rack my brains about what I’ve done wrong, like Ikuya’s probably doing.”

Rin’s arms circle me before I finish speaking, his forehead resting on my shoulder.

“I promise.”


	23. Asami's POV

We don’t walk too far, only to the park across the street and sit on a bench. The tension between us is almost palpable and I know it’s only my fault.

I feel like crying when Ikuya gently pulls my right leg into his lap, slowly massaging the ankle.

“I notice you were limping,” he mutters, not looking at me. “Bad day at training?”

I nod. “The damn quad Axel, I can’t land it properly every time and I fell really bad. I’ll just ice it tonight, it’s going to be okay. I’ve had it worse.”

There’s silence for a few minutes, really uncomfortable silence, so I clear my voice. “Are you nervous for tomorrow?”

Ikuya slowly shakes his head. “No, my training won’t betray me. Asami, is everything alright between us? Did I do something wrong?”

This is it. I’m going to tell him, as gently as possible, that we’re over. However, it takes one look into his vermilion eyes for me to swallow my words. Instead of answering his question, I crawl into his lap, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in the crook of his neck.

The teal haired boy places his hands on my waist, unsure whether to pull me closer or push me away and demand answers. He makes up his mine in a few seconds, circling me with his arms, tightening our embrace.

“I know it feels like I’ve been ignoring you, but I just wanted you to focus on your training,” I finally speak and I feel like a coward. Again. “I’m a very selfish person, Ikuya.”

He shakes his head. “I’ve always focused on swimming, nothing is holding me back,” he replies. “You’re a positive part of my life.” Ikuya grabs my shoulders, pushing me away a bit, just enough to see my face. “I’m falling in love with you, Asami.”

I’m unable to breathe. The urge to look away is overwhelming. Why did I let this happen? Why did I let this go so far?

“You don’t have to say it back,” he adds, almost instantly. “I feel like I’m rushing into things, but…it’s the truth.”

For a second, I think, to hell with everything. In this moment, nothing else matters. But it does, there are lots of other things that matter more than a relationship. 

I nod and decide to make things even worse for me. “I feel the same way about you, Ikuya. That’s why I tried to keep my distance, I don’t think…”

He never lets me finish, though. He places one hand at the nape of my neck and slams his lips onto mine. I lose all my thoughts when his tongue slips between my lips and he pushes his other hand under my shirt, his palm so warm on the small of my back.

I’m a coward because I lead him on, yet again.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You look like shit,” Sayuri informs me when I sit next to her. She had saved two seats for me, so that no one can sit to my left.

“I didn’t sleep,” I snap, dropping my backpack on the empty seat to my left. “Ikuya told me he’s falling for me last night.”

The bitch has the audacity to cheer and clap her hands. One look from me stops her, though. “And?” she asks, urging me to continue.

“I said that I feel the same way,” I mutter, passing a hand over my face.

Sayuri throws her arms up, giggling and stomping her feet. “Hell yeah!”

“What happened?” Sousuke asks as he makes his appearance, kissing the top of her head before sitting next to her. “Why are you dressed like a hobo again, babe?”

“Don’t make me break something,” she threatens him. “I like my oversized hoodies, okay? They’re comfy.”

Sousuke snorts. “Mhm hmm. Why are you up here?”

“Because this bitch didn’t answer my texts last night and I wanted precious information,” she explains, getting up. 

“Oh, and the best part about everything is that we have the sexy photo shoot today,” I inform her, slapping her thigh when she starts to shake her butt in excitement.

“I told you, give up your rule,” Sayuri says, patting my head. “I’m so happy, this is like a drama!”

“Go down there and get ready to beat everyone,” I tell her. 

We fist bump, she kisses her boyfriend and she leaves.

“So, you still apply your no dating rule?” Sousuke asks me, chuckling.

I point a finger at him. “If you dare give me advice, you fucker, I swear…”

He raises his arms. “Not even thinking about it. Do what’s best for you, Asami.”

“I’m making the Olympic team even if it’s the last thing I do,” I declare, standing up. “Save my seats please? I want to go see my brother before it all starts.”

“Sure,” he says. “I’ve already talked to Rin and the others.”

I make my way to the waiting rooms and find all the guys together. I almost stop in my trucks, when Ikuya turns around and notices me, a smile immediately lighting up his features.

“Hey.” He wraps an arm around my waist when I’m close enough, softly pecking my lips. “You okay?”

“Yes, of course,” I reply. “I came to wish you guys good luck.”

Asahi turns to look at me, an arm perked on his hip. “I don’t need luck to beat everyone.”

Hiyori snorts, but the small brunette standing next to him elbows him in the side, cutting off whatever mean comment he was about to make.

“This is Hanabi,” the auburn haired man says when he sees me staring at her.

She looks at me, smiling. “You can call me Hana.” After two seconds her eyes widen. “Are you…?”

I nod, chuckling. “Nice to meet you, Hana.”

“Sayuri told me about you, but we never got the chance to actually meet and I’m so happy,” she tells me, stepping closer to me. 

Hana grabs my left hand, closely inspecting my tattoo. “I love it, I’ve got one done too, because I’m such a huge fan.”

“Show me, show me,” I ask her, excited.

Her smile falters. “Ah, oh well…it’s not somewhere I can show in public.”

Asahi’s mouth drops open and immediately turns to Hiyori, who shrugs. “Don’t look at me like that, I have no idea.”

Haru approaches me, gently grabbing the sleeve of my shirt. “You okay?” 

I wrap my arms around him, embracing him as tight as I can, until I hear him gasp for air. “I love you, Haru. Don’t worry about me, swim free.”

He pats my back, begging me to let go. “I always swim free,” he replies, smiling a little. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The races are organized unusually this time, descending in distance. This way, we get to cheer for Sayuri first, who takes second place in the 800 m free and first place in the 400 m free. Only her time in the 400 m free qualifies for the global competition that’s the next step. 

“Guys, did you see me? I was cool, right?” she asks when she joins us, her hair still wet. “Sousuke, did I swim okay?”

He rolls his eyes, pulling her in his arms and kissing her. “Yes, Sayuri, congratulations. You still have the free relay and medley relay tomorrow, so don’t lose your focus,” he says at the same time as she yells “Let’s go clubbing tonight and drink ourselves to death!”

I start laughing, fist bumping her. “Everything you want, bestie.”

“Don’t encourage her,” Sousuke mutters, passing a hand over his face. “Now go to your teammates, before you come up with other ideas.”

“Congratulations, Sayuri,” Hana tells her, grinning. 

Ritsu and Ryuji, her uncle and dad both hug her and congratulate her – Ryuji tries and fails to hide his tears – before Sayuri returns to her teammates, in order to cheer for the other girls taking part in the remaining races for today.

Ritsu swings an arm over my shoulders. “How’s your ankle? Did you ice it?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” I reply. “I have the photo shoot tonight, don’t forget.”

He winces. “I totally forgot,” he groans, brushing a hand through his dark chestnut hair. “Oh, fucking hell, I have to deal with paperwork again. I feel like a manager.”

We keep chatting and watching the races, but I can’t sit still as I wait for Haru and Ikuya. I feel uncomfortable and guilty because I lied to Ikuya last night. I didn’t actually lie to him, I do care about him, but my priorities are elsewhere.

Finally, the 200 m free. I cross my fingers as I watch Haru step onto the starting block, with Rin next to him. They look at each other for a few seconds, then my brother turns to his other side and fist bumps Ikuya, before they all take their position and dive as soon as we hear the signal.

“I feel like closing my eyes,” I tell Sousuke and he chuckles.

I raise my arms, cheering loudly when Haru slaps the wall first. Rin and Ikuya follow, finishing the race at the same time, the three of them congratulating each other while they’re still in the pool.

Their teammates cheer as well, the whole building shaking will all the noise. All three of them have qualified for the world.


	24. Hiyori's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of smut somewhere in this chapter! xD

“Ikuya, amazing race,” I congratulate him, smiling when he gives me a one armed hug. “I wish I could say prepare yourself for the 100 m free,” I add, wincing. 

“Well, I can,” Asahi intervenes, pointing his finger at Ikuya. “I’m beating your pompous ass as well,” he tells Haru.

The brunet, however, pays no attention to us. His head is turned to the side and he’s frowning as he’s watching a swimmer approach us. 

When I see his golden orange hair and unmistakable arrogant smirk, I freeze. I can’t breathe for a second and Ikuya grabs my shoulder, squeezing hard. “Hiyori,” he mutters, his eyes fixed on me.

The redhead opens his mouth to comment something, when the newcomer walks by, his shoulder slamming into Asahi’s. 

“Oi, watch where you’re going,” Asahi yells after him, as he massages his shoulder. “Were you raised in the woods or something?”

The orange haired swimmer stops in his tracks and turns his head to look at Asahi. He doesn’t say anything, just stares the redhead down, trying to intimidate him.

“Get lost, Kinjou.”

Natsuya steps between Kaede and Asahi, a menacing look on his face. 

The orange haired swimmer snorts and rolls his eyes. “Nice gang you’ve got here, losers everywhere.” His eyes then stare into mine, his lips spreading in an unpleasant grin. “Hiyori the crybaby, long time no see.”

“Go bother someone else,” Ikuya bites out in anger. 

“I’ll enjoy tormenting you the most,” Kaede tells Haru, looking him up and down.

The brunet blinks one, unimpressed and turns his back to Kaede, whose smile falters a bit. He hates being ignored, after all, people bully others because they like the reactions they get.

“Bring it on,” I hear myself speak, before I even realize what I’m doing. “This isn’t junior high anymore, Kaede.”

Ikuya’s eyes widen and Kaede throws his head back, laughing. “I sure hope so, Hiyori – chan.” He starts walking away from us, waving his hand without looking at us.

I feel drained of energy when he finally leaves and I pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers as I feel a headache approaching. 

“Hiyori, are you okay?” Ikuya whispers, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m fine,” I reply, sighing. “I wish he never showed his face.”

The swimmers are finally called for the 100 m free and when we get there, Kaede is already standing on his starting block. I take my place next to him, doing my best not to acknowledge him in any way, but he just won’t let me be.

“I can’t wait to see how fast you are, little mermaid.”

I take my position and try my best to ignore him, and dive as soon as I hear the signal. Despite my best efforts, I know I don’t have a chance to qualify, but I just keep swimming.

I touch the wall after what feels like an eternity in the pool and take a deep breath. I don’t even look at the results as I pull my swim cap off and shake the water out of my head.

“You’re the fifth,” Ikuya tells me. 

He offers me his hand to help me out and I get out of the pool in time to see Haru throw his goggles on the ground, in an unusual fit of rage.

“He finished in fourth place,” Ikuya informs me.

Asahi groans as he gets out of the pool. “At least he’s not the sixth, for fuck’s sake.”

“What about you?” I ask, finally turning to check the results.

My best friend came in second, but his time doesn’t even compare to the one Kaede got. I grit my teeth as I hear a voice from the speakers congratulation Kaede on breaking the national record.

“I barely qualified,” Ikuya says, shaking his head. 

My lips curve in a small smile. “Well, congratulations. Don’t look so grim about it.”  
“Hiyori…”

I wave a hand. “There’s still some backstroke races, don’t worry about me, everything will be okay.”

“I want us to conquer the world together,” he mutters.

I let out a fake chuckle, that sounds hollow even to me. “You sound like Rin. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” I repeat, as we walk to the locker rooms to get changed.

The teal haired swimmer purses his lips, deciding to drop the subject, thankfully. I swam like shit because I let Kaede get under my skin with his mean remarks.

“Are you scared of him, or what? Calm down, Nanase.”

We both stop in our tracks and see Haru with his coach. The brunet is visibly angry as he closes the distance between him and his couch, their faces mere inches apart.

“Leave me the hell alone,” he bites out.

“Just get over it already. Go out there, swim like I taught you to and suck it up. It’s your fault, you had a slow start and lost your speed towards the end.”

Haru grits his teeth, closing his eyes for a second as he takes a deep breath. Without saying anything to his coach, he turns on his heels and leaves.

“I’ve never seen Haru so angry,” Ikuya comments as we start to get changed. “That was terrifying.”

I shrug. “He’s got the 50 m free next. Better calm down or he’ll fuck that up, too.”

We join our teammates in the stands in order to watch the remaining races. Ikuya is done for the day, he only has his IM tomorrow, whereas I have to wait for the backstroke races to start. Until then, there’s Haru’s 50 m free to watch, among others.

“Who’s the orange haired asshole?” Asami asks as she joins us.

Ikuya’s face lights up when he sees her and he immediately bends down for a kiss. 

“Congratulations for your races, Ikuya,” she tells him, but there’s something wrong with her. She feels cold and distant, even to me. 

“We used to be friends with him in junior high, but he decided for some reason to change his swimming style and attitude, like overnight and he’s been treating us that way ever since,” he explains and she rolls her eyes.

“He needs a good punch in the mouth, probably.”

I chuckle. “You’ve spoken like a real bully, Asami.”

“Don’t make me pinch you, Hiyori,” she retorts, sticking her tongue out. “You have any more races today, Ikuya? I thought we could go to our photo shoot earlier.”

He shakes his head. “I’m done for the day, but Hiyori has his backstroke races and I want to be here.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I tell him. “Go if you want.”

“No, I’m sorry, Hiyori, I didn’t realize. We can leave after your races,” Asami intervenes before Ikuya can say anything. “Oh, wow, look at Haru,” she says, grinning. “He’s fuming.”

We all turn to look at Haru as he’s standing on the starting block. Kaede is next to him and it’s obvious he’s trying to provoke our friend. The next thing we know is that the orange haired swimmer flinches at something Haru said, then they’re both taking their position, along with everyone else.

The all dive in unison when they hear the signal and Asami leans forward, her eyes fixed on Haru, cheering loudly when her brother swims past Kaede and keeps gaining speed, leaving no one the option to overtake him.

Ikuya and I exchange a shocked glance when the race is over and we see the results. We’re not surprised that Haru finished first, it was obvious throughout the race. His time, though, is what shocks us. 

“What is it?” Asami asks, noticing our faces.

“The national for the 50 m free is 21.67,” I reply, still staring at the results. “Haru’s time is 21.65.”

A second later, we can hear a voice in the speakers informing everyone that Nanase Haruka broke the national record and even Asami widens her eyes.

“Well, damn,” she says. 

We all look at Haru, who seems to be able only to hold onto the lane rope for the moment. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I sigh in relief as I swing my bag over my shoulder and exit the venue. I barely managed to get the qualifying time in my last events, the 100 m and 200 m backstroke, but a win’s a win. No use racking my brain over what I could’ve done better.

I stifle a yawn as I walk alone to our campus building, since Ikuya and Asami left early for their semi naked photo shoot or something. I pick up the pace when the first drop of rain hits my forehead, but I don’t want an Uber, I’ve spent the entire day in water anyways. I take my phone out, texting Hana about my results – first place in the 200 m back and first place in the 100 m back – since she didn’t see me swim because of her job. I keep texting her, smiling to myself when she informs that she’s leaving work early so we can hang out, when I suddenly bump into someone.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize as I look up from the phone.

“Hiyori – chan,” Kaede says, grinning as he looks at me. 

I try to push past him, but he grips my forearm. “So you waste your time with your little mermaid friend but don’t pay any attention to me?”

“Let me go,” I tell him, trying to keep calm. My body betrays me, because I get a shiver when he tightens his fingers around my wrist. 

“Excited for the medley relay tomorrow, aren’t you?” he asks, squeezing my wrist. “What if I break this little thing? You know, I’m getting nostalgic since I got to see you and Ikuya today.”

My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat as I remember the exact scenario that happened in the second year of high school. Kaede and I got into a fight over his constant bullying and he ended up breaking my wrist.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” he mocks me. “That time was an accident, I actually came to meet you here because I want to apologize.”

I snort and pull my hand free. “Get out of my way, Kaede,” I tell him, my voice surprisingly calm as I push past him.

One kick to my leg is enough to make me fall on my knees. I grit my teeth when Kaede hits me with the back of his hand and my glasses fall on the ground, one of the lenses cracking.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he says, picking up my glasses. “Looks like…”

But he never gets to finish his sentence, because I tackle him and push him down on the ground as well. I straddle him and before I can take back control of my own body, I punch him in the face. I’m shocked at the satisfaction I feel for just a second as I see his split, bloody bottom lip. 

Kaede grins and starts laughing. “Good job, Hiyori – chan. Come on, is that all you’ve got?” he asks me, gripping my hips with his hands. 

“You’re insane,” I mutter as I push his hands away and get up. “Stay the hell away from me, Kaede.”

I pick up my broken glasses and my bag, then force myself not to start running or look back. I’m still surprised that I fought back, the first time after all these years. 

“Hiyori, what happened?”

I wince as I notice Hana in front of the campus building. I wish I had more time to clean myself up and make up a lie about my broken glasses.

“Your cheek is bruised and your knee is bleeding,” she says, looking at me up and down. “Did you get into a fight? And don’t tell me shit like you fell or something.”

I let out a deep sigh. “I had a small quarrel with Kaede, no big deal.”

Hana follows me inside the room I share with Ikuya. She looks around in awe, before she turns to stare at me. “It’s so damn clean and uncluttered.”

I chuckle as I let myself drop on the couch, then take my phone out. “I’m going to order some food, I guess you’re hungry.”

Hana rolls her eyes. “How about you let me take care of you first?”

“Hm, I don’t know if I want noodles or rice, what do you think?”

“Hiyori!” She snatches the phone out of my hand, closes it and throws it on the couch next to me. “Why are you acting like this?”

I blink, confused and she groans. “Your knee is bleeding, probably a friction wound, but it’s a wound nonetheless and it could get infected and we should also put an ice pack on your cheek so it won’t be swollen tomorrow. How about you go take a shower, then show me where your first aid kit is and I’ll get an ice pack ready for you?”

I blink again, surprised. “Oh,” I manage and she rolls her eyes. “Uhm, okay. I can do that.”

Hana points to the bathroom, all army officer style and I smile as I get up, pressing my lips to hers for a second. She blushes, but keeps her eyes on me as I make my way to the bathroom and return with the first aid kit.

“Can I order food first?” I try, but she shakes her head, so I can’t do anything but comply.

~~~~~~~~~~

I press my forehead to the cool surface of my shower cabin as hot water pours from above and it’s heaven for my sore muscles and headache. I hear a small sound behind me, but I feel too good right now to turn around and check it.

A pair of hands press to my sides and I get startled, before I turn around. Hana’s cheeks are ruby red, but she’s looking right into my eyes.

I’m a man after all, so I can’t resist letting my eyes travel along her naked, perfect body. My jaw drops when I see her tattoo, because it doesn’t match her cute, small figure at all – a menacing looking dragon, that starts right between her breasts, with its tail reaching her belly button and its wings spread underneath her breasts.

I whistle in appreciation. “Call me crazy, but I think it matches your personality,” I comment and she starts laughing.

Hana wraps her arms around my neck. “So, uhm, I’ve meaning to ask you for a while if you wanted to take a shower together. You know, just to let you see my tattoo.”

I push her back against the wall, my hand caressing her left thigh before I lift her leg and she immediately wraps it around my waist. 

“Am I supposed to discuss the meaning of your tattoo right now?” I ask her, moving my tongue along her bottom lip before I start pressing soft kisses along her jaw.

Hana lets out a soft sigh. “We can definitely leave that for later,” she mutters, gripping my shoulders to keep herself upright when I lower my head and lick my eye from one breast to the other.

I place my free hand on her neck, angling her head and slamming my lips onto hers, our bodies flush against each other. Hanabi moans in my mouth when I push my hips against hers, letting me slip my tongue into her mouth.

I break the kiss, my thumb brushing along her swollen bottom lip. I kneel in front of her and she blushes even harder when I swing her left leg over my shoulder. “Hiyori, what are you…”

I lick her slit in one go and she tenses when I focus the tip of my tongue on her clit. I tighten my hold on her, keeping her up as I move my tongue on her sweet spot. Her whole body starts to tremble as I keep flicking my tongue and she grips my hair, pulling on it. She calls my name over and over when the waves of pleasure envelope her and I pull her down on the floor with me, burying my face in the crook of her neck.

“I’ll melt you with pleasure,” I whisper in her ear, then I pull her lobe between my teeth and press lightly on it.

I kiss my way down to her breasts, my mouth closing around one of her nipples and I tease the tight bud with my tongue. I brush my hand through her glossy black hair, gripping it as I pull her head back, then kiss her from one collarbone to the other.

Hanabi rolls her hips, rubbing herself onto me and I let out a low moan. “So impatient,” I mutter on her skin. I change our positions a little and she whimpers when I start to slowly move around her.

The brunette grips my shoulders, lifting herself up a bit. “Stop teasing me, Hiyori,” she whispers on my lips, before kissing me.

We moth moan in unison when I start pushing inside her. I grip her hips with bruising pressure as she starts to slowly move on top of me. I get up with her in my arms and push her back against the wall, pressing my lips onto hers as I start thrusting inside of her harder and harder.

Hana hooks her legs behind my back and wraps one arm around my neck, gripping my hair with the other one. She breaks the kiss only to bite on my bottom lip, urging me to move faster and faster.

“I’m close, Hiyori,” she says between moans. Hanabi arches her back, allowing me to slide even deeper, and she lets out a loud yell as I thrust into her harder and harder.

I bury my face in the crook of her neck, muffling my moans into her skin when she tightens around me and I find my release. I carefully drop to my knees, my arms wrapped around her tight as I softly kiss her neck.

Hanabi tilts her head back, resting it against the wall as she’s panting. “So, uhm…you like my tattoo?”

The bathroom echoes with our laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~

“This is so embarrassing,” I comment, dropping my head on my knee as Hanabi sprays some antiseptic on my other one. “It’s just a scratch,” I add, when she wraps a bandage around it.

Hanabi taps the top of my head. “You’re supposed to keep the ice pack on your cheek, remember?”

“Yes, yes,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

She looks so sexy in my T shirt. The only good part about her fussing over me is that I get to stare at her toned legs.

“I can’t believe you talked me into ordering pizza,” I comment as I bite into a slice. “It’s so unhealthy.”

“You’re not going to die from one slice,” she retorts and I widen my eyes.

“What do you mean one slice?”

She shrugs. “I’m looking out for your diet, okay? You take one slice, I eat the rest.”

“If I watch you eat almost two whole pizzas, my life is complete.”

Hanabi steals the slice out of my hand. “Fine, then, you’ve made me mad. No more pizza for you, Hiyori.”

I grab her by the waist and pull her into my lap. She gets flustered immediately, blushing a little, so I get to take my slice back.

“You were saying?”

“I’m accusing you of sexual harassment,” she mutters, pulling on the edge of the T shirt to cover her legs.

A small yelp escapes her lips when I push a hand underneath the T shirt and place it on her abdomen.

“Hiyori!”

“Keep talking, Hana. See where this is going.”


	25. Rin's POV

I might be the weirdest person on the planet right now because watching Haru swim so fast is giving me a boner. No, really. No sane person would get hard by watching this.

I drink half of my water bottle, trying to calm myself, then I say screw it and dump the rest on my head. 

My coach starts laughing. “Did you get fired up, Rin?”

Well, yes, but not in the way you think. I clear my voice, grinning. “Yeah, kind of.”

Coach Mikhail shakes his head. “That damn Ryuji, I never thought he’d teach his student how to swim a breathless 50 m free.”

I snap my head towards him. “I’m sorry, what?”

He starts laughing. “Your friend, Haruka, is swimming without breathing the entire race. That’s why he’s so fast. It’s a risky technique, but it pays off.”

I grit my teeth. “He didn’t tell me anything about this.”

“Of course he didn’t, you may be friends, but you’re rivals at the end of the day. Don’t worry, Rin, I’ll teach you a lot of things, too. For today, be happy you quallified for the 200 m free and your specialty, the 100 m butterfly.”

“I came in second,” I complain, even though I’m actually pleased with myself. “Anyways, I’m going down there.”

“Why?” my coach asks me.

“To drown the little fucker.”

Mikhail’s laughter follows me as I descend the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~

Haru’s both arms are wrapped around the rope lane as he’s taking short, painful gasps for air. Even though I’m terribly pissed at him, I can’t help but be proud of my boyfriend.

He broke the national record, after all.

I push my hand towards him and Haru raises his head.

“Come on, let me help you, traitorous bastard,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

The brunet is still panting when I help him out of the water. He removes his swim cap and lets his goggles dangle around his neck, then smiles. “Did you like that?”

“Don’t provoke me yet, I’m still pissed enough to push you back in the water. Hell, maybe I’ll help keep you underwater,” I reply. “I’m genuinely mad at you, Haru, if you can’t tell.”

His smile falters and I shake my head. “Never mind,” I mutter, then push my hands in my pockets.

Asami runs past me at a speed I didn’t think possible and wraps herself around her brother.

“Haru, that was insane! Congratulations doesn’t feel enough,” she tells me, kissing his cheek with a loud pop. “Insane, I’m telling you!”

I take a few steps back as male and female swimmers from his University swarm him, then turn on my heels and leave. Somehow, I feel like an intruder. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you busy tonight?” Haru asks me in the waiting room. “Asami has her photo shoot with Ikuya.”

His races are done for the day, he only has the freestyle relay tomorrow.

I shrug. “I don’t know, I might be.”

Haru takes a step back, looking like I’ve slapped him and I feel like shit. However, my pride gets the better of me and I end the conversation by turning on my heels and leaving.

I feel even worse because Haru doesn’t chase after me. I’m so immersed in my own thoughts that I almost bump into Sousuke.

“Hey, Rin,” he calls me, smiling. “Congratulations again for your races today.”

“Yeah, thanks,” I mutter, motioning for him to sit on one of the benches. “I think you were right,” I tell Sousuke, sighing. “And I hate you for it.”

My best friend throws his head back, laughing. “You’re jealous of him, aren’t you?”

I sigh again, louder this time. “I thought you’d gloat or something, not slap me in the face with another truth. You’re insatiable, man.”

He looks away as he drinks from his bottle of water. “I may have overreacted a bit, I’m sorry.”

I blink and Sousuke winces. “In my defense, I meant well. All I wanted was for you to focus on your dreams, but I guess Haruka was right. I didn’t let you swim free. I’ve put the pressure of my lost dream on you and that wasn’t fair for you.”

I rub at my eyes and look at him again. “I think I’m hallucinating because of the chlorine. Are you really Sousuke?”

He bumps his shoulder into mine. “Prick.”

I chuckle, but I still feel betrayed by Haru. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I’m a fucking stalker, that’s what I am. A creep that circles his boyfriend’s apartment building for half an hour, then walks back and forth on the hallway for another half an hour, hiding in the staircase every time he hears a sound.

Gods above, kill me now and spare me the embarrassment.

I pull out my phone, deciding to call him and ask him if he’s home. What if he isn’t, though? Maybe he’s gone out with some friends, after all, the guy broke the 50 m free national record today. If I were him, I’d be out celebrating for sure.

What if he is home and decides not to answer because he’s pissed at me? I’ve been a petty bitch.

What if he is home and he answers his phone and I just stand there, unable to speak? Do I apologize first? Do I act like nothing’s happened?

I groan and run a hand through my hair, pulling on it like I want to rip it out along with my stupid brain. 

My agony is cut short because the door to Haru’s apartment opens.

“I almost decided to let you suffer some more, but you’re probably bothering my neighbors,” he tells me, face expressionless as he leans against the door frame.

My eyes widen. “You’re wearing an apron,” I tell him and feel dumb after.

“I got hungry while listening to you stomp along the hallway.”

We stare at each other for a few seconds until Haru finally takes pity on me and opens his door wider. “Just come inside, Rin. You’re stressing me out.”

I drop my head and follow him inside the apartment, then wrap my arms around him, hugging him from behind as soon as the door closes.

“I’m sorry, Haru.”

The brunet sighs, tilting his head back and resting it on my shoulder. “I know. I was planning to come to Sousuke’s apartment after eating.”

“He’s Sousuke now, not Yamazaki?” 

“We had an interesting and heartfelt conversation when he admitted he was protective of you for no reason and I told him I truly wish for his surgery to be a success so he can swim again,” he replies and I start laughing.

“I’m really sorry, Haru,” I mutter into his ear as I kiss his temple. “It was a combination of concern for your safety and jealousy that I’m not at that level yet.”

He says nothing, so I add “I’m really proud of you, Haru.”

The brunet turns to look at me and he places one hand on my neck, gently caressing my cheek with his thumb. “Thanks. I’m proud of your results, too. It’s okay. Whatever you decide to feel, it’s genuine and I understand it somehow.” He pauses, then says “I wasn’t going to do it, you know?”

I blink, confused. “Why?”

“You know I swim free, so I had already told Azuma I’ll just swim my way. But then Kinjou got on my nerves.”

I chuckle. “Yes, you were fuming, I’ve never seen you so angry.”

“He pisses me off,” Haru says, pulling me down for a kiss. “Maybe that’s why I don’t have an issue with Sousuke anymore, I’ve found another person to have a problem with.”

We both laugh and I kiss him again.

“So, what were you going to cook?”

Haru looks at me like I’m dumb. “Mackerel.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I brush the hair away from his face as I gaze at his perfect features, smiling when he moves in his sleep and cuddles closer to me. I debate between waking him up and send him to bed or let him sleep some more on the sofa, when the apartment door opens.

I carefully get up and walk to the door, so I can warn Asami not to make any noise, but I’m stopped in my tracks when Ikuya slams her against the door.

I watch them kiss and grind against each other for an embarrassing amount of time before I decide to clear my voice, because they’re so caught up in each other and I can’t seem to find a second to make my presence known.

The first to stop is Ikuya, he breaks the kiss and turns his head to look at me. He widens his eyes as he notices me, then lets out an unintentional gasp when Asami pushes her hand in his pants.

“Asami, stop,” he mutters, gripping her wrist.

“You’re so hard…oh, fuck, hi, Rin,” she says.

The next few seconds as she pulls her hands out and zips Ikuya’s pants up are the most embarrassing of my whole life.

“Uhm, Haru is sleeping on the sofa,” I whisper, trying not to think too much about it.

“Yeah, we’ll be quiet,” she whispers back, then grabs Ikuya’s hand and they slowly make their way to her room.

I go back in the living room, gently ruffling Haru’s hair, who’s awake now and sitting on the sofa while he’s yawning and rubbing at his eyes.

“Is it morning yet?” he asks, stifling another yawn.

I shake my head, then bend down to kiss his forehead. “You should go to your bedroom and sleep, Haru. I can let myself out.”

The brunet wraps his arms around my legs, resting his cheek against my thighs. “Stay.”

My heart does a funny little happy dance in my chest, because of how cute Haru is right now.

“Okay, let’s get you to bed.”


	26. Ikuya's POV

Asami seems to be back to her old playful self. I have a feeling she’s still hiding something from me, but I can’t think straight when I get to watch her undress slowly in the dressing room of the studio.

I pass a hand over my face, groaning when she makes eye contact with me in the mirror and licks her lips as she takes her jeans off.

“Asami, please stop, it’s hard enough already,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Why did I ever agree to this shit?”

“Oh, you’re going to have a blast,” she tells me, laughing. “Those boxers looks amazing on you.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s uncomfortable and embarrassing, I have to stand almost naked in the middle of the studio, while that freak dressed in a bright pink suit is going to take photos of me. Do I have to pose in any way?”

Asami walks over to me and places her hands on my shoulders. “Just follow my lead and have fun, okay? It will only be us two and Fujikata – san this time, Ritsu decided to stay outside this time so you’d feel more at ease.”

I nod, my eyes dropping to her bare breasts. “Mhm hmm, sure, okay, whatever you say.”

“Now help me put this bra on.”

Asami is going to wear black lace lingerie adorned with straps across her chest – I honestly want to rip it off of her as soon as she puts it on. 

“Fucking corset,” she mutters, adjusting the bra. “It’s stabbing me in the ribs! You’re lucky with your underwear, let’s switch.”

I don’t get to reply because freaky Fujikata – san, who’s going to be in my nightmares for a long time, throws the door open and walks in.

“Amazing, Asami – chan, Ikuya – kun, you look perfect!”

He comes closer to me, crouching in front of me so his face is on the same level as my abdomen. I clear my voice, taking a step back, but he grabs my hips with both hands, inspecting me. 

“You were right, Asami – chan, he’s ripped!

I look away, because he makes me so uncomfortable, but Asami can barely keep herself from laughing. “I told you, Fujikata – san.”

“Okay, time for make up,” he tells us, grinning as he looks up at me. “We need to make those vermilion eyes pop.”

It takes all my self control not to groan.

~~~~~~~~~~

I may have judged Fujikata – san a bit too harsh. He’s very patient and guides me a in professional way, so eventually I just do what Asami told me to do. Have fun and follow her lead.

Most of the photos are of us together, barely touching but staring intensely at each other, all our poses carefully considered so that what we’re wearing, as well as our bodies, are perfectly flaunted. We change a few times before he asks us to pose individually. He’s patient with me again as he teaches me some classic poses and guides me all the time. I breathe a sigh of relief when he looks up from his camera and smiles, allowing me to go.

“Asami – chan, do whatever you want, play with all the things on set, jump, laugh, I don’t care,” he tells her, getting his camera ready. “I already know I’m going to love it.”

One of his assistant’s bring me a robe and I profusely thank her for it, because I’ve had enough of my almost naked parade. I’ve changed more pairs of underwear than I remember and it shouldn’t be any different from my races, but it somehow embarrasses me more. When I swim, people look at the way I swim, they don’t analyse every muscle on my body and tell me how to pose so I flaunt my ass in those boxers.

I’m so glad it’s over.

I tie the robe, finally comfortable and turn my attention to Asami. She’s playing with her silk robe for now, showing Fujikata – san original and artistic poses, and then things become interesting. I recognize her position as she gets ready to jump and I can’t help the smile on my face when she jumps in the air, landing perfectly on the ground.

Fujikata – san is almost delirious as he snaps picture after picture and his assistants begin to cheer for Asami, who ends her individual photo shoot with a few ice skating forms.

The photographer uses a piece of paper as a fan. “Amazing, Asami – chan, I’m in love with these pictures.”

She grins, flipping her long black hair over one shoulder. “Thank you for your hard work, Fujikata – san,” she tells him, then runs towards me and jumps into my arms.

I’m taken by surprise and barely catch her, spinning in place a little so I can balance myself as she wraps her legs around my waist.

“See, it wasn’t that bad,” she says, pressing her lips to mine.

The click of Fujikata’s camera makes a specific click as he takes a photo of us kissing. I flinch, breaking the kiss and he starts laughing.

“If you two aren’t in a rush,” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows in a way that makes me want to die, “I can take a few photos of you two, just for your own personal use.”

Asami jumps down from my arms, giggling. “Great idea, I love it.” She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the bed we used at the beginning of the photo shoot.

I’d like to complain and refuse, but there’s one tiny part of me that actually enjoyed taking photos with Asami. This time, we don’t have to pose in any way, just be natural with each other.

We both sit in the middle of the bed and Asami unties my robe, her eyes fixed into mine. A small, playful smile curves her lips and I can’t resist, I lover my head to kiss the corner of her mouth. She chuckles, pushing the robe off my shoulders, then she wraps her arms around my neck, embracing me.

I circle her waist with my arms, lowering one hand to grab her left buttock, forgetting about Fujikata – san and what we’re actually doing when she presses her lips to the side of my neck.

Asami giggles and takes a pillow, then moves away from me and slams the white fluffy thing directly into my face. I’m left dumbfounded for a second, because I clearly didn’t expect this turn of events, and Asami throws her head back, laughing.

I lunge for her and she jumps away, still laughing, but I manage to grab her and pull her into my arms. Her back slams against my chest and I stand up on my knees, sinking my teeth into her shoulder as punishment.

Asami yelps, her hand gripping my hair and forcing my head up. We’re both panting a little as we stare at each other and she smiles softly at me. I lower my head, my mouth covering hers, my arms wrapping tighter around her.

The sound of hands clapping brings me back to earth and I break the kiss, somehow sad our fun is over.

Fujikata – san comes closer to us, shaking his camera in his hands. “Asami – chan, Ikuya – kun, I feel like tearing up because of how beautiful your pictures are.”

We both bow to hi, thanking him for his hard work, then we put our robes on. One of the assistants calls us to her laptop and we both give her our personal information – Fujikata promises to send us the photos as soon as possible, both from the official photo shoot and our personal one. Then, we’re done. 

All that’s left is to change back into our clothes, gather our things and let Ritsu drive us home.

I’ve had more fun than I thought I would. This photo shoot helped ease my mind about Asami, I’m ready to let go of all my insecurities.

~~~~~~~~~~

Asami asks Ritsu to drive the both of us to Haru’s apartment, since she’s sure he’s not home.

“Sousuke is spending the night at Sayuri’s house, so Haru is definitely with Rin right now,” she says, waving her hand when I ask her to text Haru.

We thank Ritsu for the ride and go inside the apartment building. The brunette unlocks the door to the apartment and we stand in the doorway for a few seconds. It’s perfectly quiet.

I sigh in relief, then grab her by the waist and slam her against the door, my mouth covering hers. Asami arches into me, her hands gripping my shirt as our tongues dance around each other. I slip my hands underneath her dress, grabbing onto her buttocks.

Someone clears his voice behind me and I freeze, breaking the kiss and turning my head. Asami, however, is too caught up in the moment to notice, so she presses her lips to my neck and unzips my pants, pushing one hand in to grab my dick.

I gasp, my eyes locked on Rin. It’s too dark to see, but I bet he’s as mortified as I am.

“Asami, stop,” I mutter, grabbing her wrist and trying to keep her hand in place.

“You’re so hard,” she says, raising her head to look at me. That’s when she notices Rin. “Oh, fuck, hi, Rin.”

The crimson haired swimmer rubs the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. The few seconds when Asami pulls her hand out and zips my pants back up make me want to die. Please, someone kill me now.

“Uhm, Haru is sleeping on the sofa,” Rin informs us, whispering.

“Yeah, we’ll be quiet,” the brunette replies, giving Rin a thumbs up.

She grabs my hand, motioning for me to follow her and we quietly make our way to her room, soundlessly closing the door behind us.

Asami slaps both her palms over her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.

“It’s not funny,” I comment, but that triggers her even more.

“I’ve walked in on them, too,” she says, trying hard not to burst out laughing. “Rin was getting ready to suck Haru’s dick.”

I press both hands on my eyes, as if this would erase the image forming in my brain. “Why did you have to tell me? Asami, why?”

She hides her face into my chest, her whole body trembling as she quietly giggles. “I thought you’d feel less embarrassed.”

“I told you to text him.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t, because I might have woken him up,” she retorts, grabbing the nape of my neck with her hand. 

She pulls my head down and I grip her hips, pressing our bodies together as I deepen the kiss. 

“We have to be quiet,” Asami whispers as she starts taking some steps back, guiding me in the direction of the bed.

“Then I won’t stop kissing you.”

She unbuttons my shirt and I take her dress of, then push her on the bed, my mouth devouring hers. I place one hand on her breasts, squeezing softly as my other palm travels down on her body. 

Asami moans in my mouth when I push my hand in her panties and I start teasing her with my middle finger. She opens up her legs more, the hand she has tangled in my hair gripping on it.

I tease her bottom lip with my tongue, then slip it leisurely into her mouth when I push two fingers inside of her. Asami tenses and she tilts her head back, breaking the kiss so she can gasp for air.

“Ikuya, I want you,” she whispers. “I’ve wanted you so badly ever since we started the photo shoot,” she adds.

I pull away only to unzip my pants and free my throbbing erection, then kiss the corner of her mouth before I push into her, sheathing myself in one swift motion.

Asami throws her head back, muffling her cries with a hand pressed to her mouth and I bury my face in the crook of her neck, moaning quietly into her skin. I start moving, rolling my hips into hers as she arches her back off the bed, meeting my every thrust.

I lean forward, my arms caging her head as I push into her in slow, deep thrusts and Asami wraps her arms around my neck. She pushes the heels of her feet into my lower back, urging me to move faster.

I slam my lips onto hers, swallowing her moans as I pick up the pace. I’m losing my head because of how hot and tight she feels around me.

I almost stop when I notice tears running down her cheeks, but she hide her face into my neck and begs me not to stop.

“Asami,” I try, but she cuts me off with “Don’t stop, please, don’t stop,” hooking her legs behind my back.

“I’m close,” she whispers into my ear, before biting on my earlobe.

I grab her by the hair, angling her head so I can press my lips to hers. Her whole body tenses and I keep thrusting into her as her orgasm hits, pushing her over the edge.

I slam my hips into hers one last time as I find my release, breaking the kiss so we can regain our breath.

“Asami, what’s wrong?” I ask, searching her face.

“Nothing, it was just so intense,” she says, closing her eyes when I wipe her tears with my thumbs. 

I roll on my side, pulling her in my arms and holding her tight. I know she’s lying to me, but she doesn’t tell me anything else, no matter how much I insist.


	27. Asami's POV

The four of us serve breakfast together, neither of us commenting on anything that happened last night. Ikuya spent the night with me, because Hiyori had texted him and let him know that he’s with Hanabi. He also admitted to having a fight with Kaede because the guy provoked him, so Ikuya ended up calling him over Skype to hear the whole story.

I’ve managed to convince Ikuya that nothing’s wrong with me and we hold hands until we reach the venue for the second day of All – Japan. Since yesterday we left for the photo shoot right after his races, he’s got everything he needs in his bag.

Haru is part of a freestyle relay today, whereas Ikuya has his IM. Among other swimmers, he’s also competing against his older brother Natsuya.

I’ve lied to Ikuya and told him Ritsu and I are leaving by car to Kyoto, after the races today. The truth is I’m leaving during Ikuya’s IM. I haven’t been able to tell him about my rule, priorities and the way I’ve been managing my relationships until now. Over and over again, I’ve let myself be swept away by him and I ended up a liar.

The worst part of it all is that I’ve developed genuine feelings for him. It’s going to be tough to deal with him and keep lying to him, but I believe that going our separate ways is the best course of actions for both of us. As athletes, we need a cool head and an undivided focus on our work.

“Good luck, Ikuya,” I tell him, kissing him softly on the lips. 

I wrap my arms around Haru next, who knows what I’m about to do. I’ve asked him to keep it a secret, even from Rin, because I know that only one word from Ikuya is enough to make me fall apart. Sayuri is the other one who knows what I’m about to do, except for my coach. I’ve told her yesterday and she called me a cruel bitch, then hugged me tight. 

“Good luck, Haru,” I say and he squeezes me harder.

“Take care of yourself, Asami,” he whispers into my ear. “See you in Barcelona.”

“Hey, Kaede, nice lip job,” Asahi yells when the orange haired swimmer appears. “Keeping up with the Kardashians, I see.”

Kaede throws the redhead a menacing glare, but says nothing as he walks away. Ikuya chuckles and fist bumps Hiyori, who’s smiling, even though he’d apparently lost his glasses and gained a nice, purple bruise on his face.

Eventually, I go in the stands with Hanabi, Sousuke and Rin, who doesn’t have any races today and he came here just to cheer for Haru.

I cheer with the others when Sayuri’s team takes second place in the female medley relay and their time qualifies, as well as when Haru bring his team the first place as well, as anchor, in their medley relay race.

I start gathering my things when the swimmers take their places on the starting blocks, preparing for the individual medley. I spot Ikuya, who’s exchanging words with his brother.

“Where are you going?” Hanabi asks me, drawing the attention of Sousuke and Rin.

I press my lips together and don’t answer, getting up only when we hear the signal and the swimmers dive in the pool.

“Asami?” Rin asks me, widening his eyes.

“I’m sorry, guys. Sousuke, I wish everything will be okay with your surgery,” I mutter, then walk past them.

I offer a few apologies until I’m out of the stands, then start running. I only stop when I reach the exist to the venue, regaining my breath as I join Ritsu, who’s waiting for me outside a rented car.

“You’re early,” he comments. “I thought you’d watch the IM, too.”

I shake my head. “It’s better this way. Let’s go.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I keep my phone closed the entire ride with the Nozomi train, then for the rest of the day as well. I have one month left to train and I know I wouldn’t have been able to train properly if I stayed in Tokyo and let myself be distracted by Ikuya.

I was sixteen when I started skating as a senior and Ritsu became my coach. That was also the first year of his retirement, because being thirty five was already too old for an ice skater, according to him. Ever since then, we move in together for one month before my first event of the year. That way, we get to synchronize our eating, sleeping and training schedules, and the results have always been awesome for me.

Ritsu is also very fun to live with and a great roommate. He cooks like a five star chef – he taught me how to cook, actually – and likes to baby me during this one month. Except training, there’s nothing he lets me do. I don’t cook, clean, do laundry, anything and it’s great. He’s very strict with my diet and monitors me closely so I don’t eat something I’m not supposed to.

Also, the best part of living together with him is that sometimes we spend an entire evening skating together and choreographing programs.

It’s late at night when I finish the training for today. After taking a shower and eating a zucchini salad, I drop in my bed face first. I almost forced Ritsu to start my training today, because I really needed something to keep me occupied and take my mind off things.

I can’t ignore the matter anymore, though. I take my phone, opening it and I wince when I see how many missed calls and texts I have from Ikuya.

My finger hovers over the caller id, which is unusual for me. I’ve never felt so guilty for leaving a guy behind so I can focus on my skating.

I almost drop the phone when it starts vibrating and my stomach drops when I see that Ikuya is the one calling me. I swallow hard, pressing a hand over my aching stomach and I answer.

“Asami, finally,” he says, his voice shaking. 

“Hi, Ikuya.”

“What happened, love? Why did you leave like that?” he asks me.

I bite hard on my bottom lip, trying to keep it from trembling. I look up, pushing my tears back and I clear my voice. “Ikuya, I’m sorry, but it’s better this way.”

He pauses for so long that I think he hung up, when he finally speaks again.

“Did I do something that drove you to make this decision?” his voice quiet and his tone defeated.

“No, Ikuya. We’re athletes, okay? We focus on our competitions, they are out priorities. We don’t have time for relationships, right?”

“I told you I’m falling in love with you, Asami. Did that sound like I don’t want to dedicate my time to you?”

It’s my turn to pause, because I know my voice is thick with tears.

“You said you felt the same way and I know it wasn’t a lie. Asami, just tell me what happened.”

I press a hand over my lips, doing my best to keep the sobs and tears back. I take a deep breath and when I’m finally able to talk again, I say “I care about you, Ikuya. As a friend, okay? We’re friends. We had fun and now we’re going back to our lives.”

“I don’t want to be your friend. Not after everything that happened between us.”

“That’s all I can offer, Ikuya, please understand. I don’t date anyone, okay? I’m either training or competing, there’s no time left for relationships in my life. You can’t expect us to be together if we see each other once every few months. Also, the jealousy part is the hardest. You never know what the other one is up to when you’re not there.”

“Have you ever heard of trust?” he snaps, but then lets out a sigh. “You know, you’re probably right. You said it yourself, we had fun. You probably had more fun than me, but that’s just how life works. Good luck with your competitions, Asami.”

He hangs up before I can say anything else and I curl on my bed, my phone still in my hand. I finally let my tears run free, not even bothering to wipe them away. There’s no one to see me, anyways. 

~~~~~~~~~~

When I fall for the fifth time, Ritsu motions for me to come to the edge of the rink. “Out with it.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?”

“You should be, if I take an ostrich and put skates on its feet, it will probably skate better than you. What the fuck is on your mind that keeps you from landing your jumps?”

I roll my eyes. “Did it ever occur to you that I might just have a bad day?”

Ritsu snorts. “You don’t have bad days, ice queen, nothing ever fucks with your focus. So, out with it. Did your teal haired swimmer break up with you or something?”

My chest tightens. “You know I don’t date, so he can’t actually break up with me. I had fun, vacation’s over.”

He looks at me like he doesn’t believe me, but sends me back on the rink anyways. “I need you to land your quad Axel until noon. Otherwise, I won’t let you practice it anymore.”

I grit my teeth and take my position, then Ritsu starts the music for my free program.

I land the quad Axel three times before lunch. 

“As a reward for your hard work, I’m ordering pizza today,” Ritsu tells me when I drag my tired body to the edge of the rink.

I raise my arms up, cheering for him, exhaustion forgotten.

“You can have one slice.”

I drop my hands, fake sobbing and he starts laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~

One more thing Ritsu is amazing it is thai foot massage. I tilt my head back, groaning when he works on the muscles of my left calf, the pain almost unbearable. After one week of intensive training and practicing my free program, I’m sore all over.

“We’re switching to your short program starting tomorrow,” he informs me.

I yelp when he finds a particular painful spot and he chuckles. “Quad Axel training in the morning and short program practice after lunch. Also, when the next week is over, I’m changing your program.”

I groan. “The fucking sleep four hours, train four hours crap, right?”

He slaps my knee. “It’s not crap, you brat. That’s what my coach made me do when I was competing. How many gold medals did I miss?”

I shut my mouth and he smiles. “Exactly.”

I roll my eyes when he looks down, then pick up my phone and start scrolling through Instagram. After a few seconds, I almost drop my phone. 

The last pic posted by Asahi is a group photo of him and the other guys. A brown haired girl, with common features that I wouldn’t normally even notice, has her arms hooked around Ikuya’s, in a very couple like position.


	28. Yuri's POV

“Yuri, keep going!” Victor encourages me as I add a combination. “Picture me naked!”

I almost trip on my own feet when Victor yells that second part to me from across the rink. This year has been especially hard on him, because he had to choreograph my short program and free skate, as well as train himself, because he’s returning to the competition this year.

Moving to St. Petersburg has been the best decision of my life, honestly. I’ve improved so much over the last year, I gain a lot of confidence in myself and I can’t believe how good of a skater I’ve become.

“Let’s give Asami a call,” Victor proposes when we take a break. It’s around noon in St. Petersburg, so it’s about 6 pm in Japan, which means Asami has surely called it a day by now.

I stretch my arms above my head, smiling when he grabs my hand so we can glide together to the edge of the rink. We both sit on a bench, leaning with our back against the rink wall, then Victor video calls her.

The one who answers is Ritsu. “Hey, guys.”

I widen my eyes when I notice the rink and Asami skating behind him. “Are you still training?”

The former skater winces, tilting his head to the side, which makes the thin chain connecting piercings from his lip and ear move. “Asami is mad, but she won’t tell me why. Here, let me show you.”

He switches to the back camera, then zooms in a bit, in time for us to see Asami jump around furiously, hitting the ice with her skates. She puts a lof of force then, swearing and yelling as she lands a quad Salchow.

“Asami, dear, you’re supposed to channel your inner geisha, not your inner killer hippo,” Ritsu tells her.

She shows him the middle finger and her couch starts laughing. “Say hi to Victor and Yuri!”

Asami immediately bows a few times, apologizing to us as she slides closer to Ritsu. The brunet switches back to the front camera, so that now we can see the both of them.

“What happened to our little ice snake?” Victor asks, barely holding his laughter. “You looked ready to slaughter someone out there.”

“She’s going to say everything is fine, don’t even bother asking her,” I intervene.

Asami makes a face at me. “You know I can fall on you in Canada, right?”

“Oh no, not the killer hippo again,” I tease her and she sticks her tongue out.

“No, but really, I’m perfectly fine, just enjoying a good evening training,” she says, fake laughing. “Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

Victor clears his voice. “Yuri here is a master of Instagram, okay? He knows everything, you can’t fool us.”

Her face turns pale. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve done my research, you have nothing to worry about for now,” I tell her, grinning. “She has a photo of another guy on her Insta page and tagged him as her boyfriend. She must be an old classmate of his or something.”

Asami passes a hand over her face, her relief obvious. “Oh, okay. Not that I was worried about him, anyways. We’re just friends now, you see. We’re both athletes that focus on their competitions and training.”

Me and Victor hum at the same time, deciding not to meddle anymore. Asami gets like this around competitions every time.

“Anyways, moving on from that subject,” she says. “How’s training for the both of you? I can’t wait to see you at All – Japan.”

“I won’t be able to come,” Victor says, wincing. “Yakov is forcing me to stay in St. Petersburg, since he says Yuri is advanced enough to manage the All – Japan final on his own.”

“Don’t worry,” Ritsu intervenes. “I’ll babysit Yuri, too. He’s well behaved and grateful for my advice, unlike a certain someone.”

“I’m well behaved and grateful, too, so he’s not talking about me,” Asami points out, elbowing her couch in the side. “We’ll let you get back to training now, I think I’m finally ready to call it a day.”

Victor swings an arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer after the call has ended. “You’re okay with Ritsu and Asami there, right? I can fight with Yakov if you don’t feel comfortable on your own.”

“Relax, it’s fine,” I tell him and I’m honest. “It’s not easy for you to train me and compete simultaneously, I figured from the start something like this will happen.”

I pat his head, then stand up. “Back to training, please.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Victor and I take turns in recording each other when we skate, then cuddle in bed late in the evening and watch the videos, trying to find the flaws in each other’s performances.

Tonight, like usual, I tell him how perfect he is and he offers me a forty – five minute lecture on how I should tighten my core, jump higher, keep an arm or both arms up as I jump, control my facial expressions – I actually look like I’m having a seizure on my third quad of my free program, so he might be right about that one.

“You’re very beautiful, Yuri,” he says and I blush. “Use that to your advantage.” He then pinches my cheeks. “We need to do something about you blushing all the time, Yuri.”

I drop my head. “It’s your fault, you know,” I mutter. “You always say sappy things.”

“Then let’s get you used to sappy things,” Victor comments, laughing.

I sigh, then brush a hand through his silver hair as I bring his head closer to mine. “I don’t want to get used to them, you know.”

He swallows and my eyes follow the movement of his neck, before I lower my head and press my mouth to his neck. I feel his pulse under my lips as I softly kiss his skin, as well as the vibration of his quiet sigh.

“You’re so romantic, Yuri,” Victor says, tilting his head to the side when I kiss my way to his ear. A soft moan escapes his lips when I lick the shell of his ear, then pull his earlobe between my teeth and bite on it. 

“Are you tired?” I ask him, my hand already slipping under his loose white T shirt.

“Not that tired,” he asks, suddenly grabbing my shoulder and pushing me down on the bed. 

Victor lowers his head, capturing my bottom lip between his teeth and softly pressing on it. I run my hands through his silver hair, tangling my fingers into the silky strands. I close my eyes when Yuri’s tongue slips between my lips and he places his hands on my neck, his thumbs tracing my jawline.

He deepens the kiss and I slip both hands under his T shirt. Victor hisses into my mouth when my cold palms press against his hot skin.

“At least you didn’t slip them into my pants,” he teases, pressing s short kiss to the corner of my mouth when I pout and blush at his comment.

Victor kisses his way down my body, my abdomen tensing when he licks the skin above the hem of the pants. The takes them off, licking his lips.

“The bruises are starting to become faint,” he comments, lowering his head and giving one of the bruises a lick. He presses his mouth on the inside of my thigh, sucking and biting at the skin there and I throw my head back, whimpering.

“Victor, don’t,” I warn, gripping his hair and pulling him up. 

He grins, then straddles me, his hands latching onto my neck as he kisses me roughly. Before I realize what’s happening, Victor grabs my waist and turns me around, pushing me onto the bed face first. He makes space for his body between my legs and I cry out when one finger coated with lube finds my entrance. 

Victor presses his lips in the middle of my spine and starts kissing his way up to the nape of my neck. I whimper when he adds a second finger and I move underneath him. A yell escapes my lips when his other hands slams my left buttock, my back arching.

He starts pushing himself inside me and I bite on my hand, trying to muffle my cries. Victor lets out a low groan as he moves slowly in, inch my inch. He stops when he’s fully sheathed, giving me time to adjust to the fullness of him and lowers his head to kiss my shoulder.

“Yuri, are you okay?” he whispers, his tongue tracing the shape of my ear.

I nod and he starts thrusting into me, slowly at first but picking up the pace soon. I bury my face in the pillow, trying to muffle my moans, but Victor slaps me again. 

“I want to hear you, Yuri,” he says, his voice hoarse.

He wraps one arm around my waist, raising my hips off the mattress so he can slip a hand under me and grab my dick. His thumb rubs on the tip and I throw my head back, crying out his name.

Victor’s moans become louder as his rhythm falters and he pulls me closer, pressing my back against his chest. He keeps moving his hand on my erection and I tilt my head back, resting it on his shoulder when the sensations become so intense it’s almost unbearable.

I find my release and that seems to trigger him as well, because he starts thrusting into me even harder and faster. I turn my head and he kisses me, then buries himself inside me in one last, hard thrust as he reaches his climax.

We fall one the bed, panting and I chuckle when he blows hot air into the hair at the base of my head.

“Carry me into the shower,” I mutter and he starts laughing. “No, really, I don’t think I can walk.”

He kisses my temple, cuddling closer into me. “In a bit.”

Victor falls asleep before I do.


	29. Hiyori's POV

It was painful to watch both times. First, when Ikuya pulled himself out of the pool after taking first place in the individual medley. He looked up in the stands, searching for Asami, who was already gone. The second time was when she finally answered his call and I could see his sadness thickening in his vermilion eyes. When the call ended, Ikuya looked defeated, his eyes dull, his whole body seemed like it would give in under the weight of his aching heart.

When confronted, Haru simply said “That’s what Asami always does. I won’t badmouth her whatever she does, she’s my twin sister.”

I understand him, of course, but it frustrates me to no end that Ikuya has closed himself off completely. He’s back to training all day long and never paying attetion to anything else besides that.

“This morning, when he thought I was still asleep, he was watching the videos he took of Asami skating,” I tell Hanabi, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

“Give him time to heal,” she says, placing her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry my idea didn’t work,” she apologizes, wincing. “It’s been almost a week since Asahi posted the photo. She would have reacted in some way by now.”

“For the hundreth time, it’s okay.”

The brown haired girl in the group photo Asahi posted on his Insta page is Yumi, a girl from Hanabi’s courses. She had been pestering Hana to introduce her to Ikuya, since she’s had a crush on him for a long time apparently and she became even more insistent after Asami left. The photo is the only thing that happened between them, though, Ikuya didn’t even talk to her properly and he left home soon after the photo was taken, because he was getting annoyed by Yumi.

“Yumi no longer has a crush on Ikuya,” the brunette informs me, sighing. “She said that he’s such a gloomy, boring guy.”

I shake my head. “She was too insistent and didn’t respect his boundaries in any way. She bothered him with questions all night.”

“Still, I asked Asahi to post the picture because I really thought Asami will react in any way. How can a person be that cold?” Hana comments, passing a hand over her face. “I’m going to feel like I betray you guys when I watch her skate.”

I start laughing. “Those are two completely different matters. As a figure skater, she’s amazing, there’s no arguing about that.”

“Do you think Ikuya will watch her events?” Hana asks, looking up at me.

“Oh, he’ll do it. He’ll just hide it from me.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Ikuya, I’m home,” I say as I walk into our room, dropping my backpack near my desk. “Ikuya?” I call again as I start walking towards him.

He’s sitting on the sofa, a towel thrown carelessly next to him, his hair still wet. Ikuya is staring at something on his phone, his face expressionless. The only thing that gives away his internal struggle is the way he grips his phone, his knuckles white.

I sit next to him, my eyes catching a professional picture of him and Asami embracing on a bed, before he closes his phone and throws it across the room.

I place a hand on his shoulder, offering my silent support and he covers his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Fujikata – san has finally sent us the pics from the shooting photo,” he says after a while. “I wonder if she’ll even look at them.”

I don’t say anything and he sighs. “Yeah, she probably can do it. After all, she was just having fun.” He turns his head to the side, sighing. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop talking about her.”

“Don’t apologize, Ikuya. I’d rather you talk to me, I hate it when you walk around like a zombie, keeping everything to yourself,” I confess and he winces.

Ikuya looks down and water starts dripping from his hair onto his T shirt. I sigh, then grab the towel and throw it on his head, then I start to gently dry his hair.

“All this time, I’ve been waiting for her to call and say it was all a big, cruel joke. Or that she changed her mind. Or some lame excuse, I was ready to take anything as granted and forgive her.” He pauses, then asks “She’s never going to call me, is she?”

I’ve never felt the urge to slap a girl across her face until now.

“You can’t wait for her forever, Ikuya. I don’t even know what advice to give you. I don’t know if you should move on already or try to talk to her again. Choose what you think will put your mind at ease.”

He nods and I take the towel to the bathroom, then recover his phone from the floor. “Here,” I say. “The screen didn’t crack.”

Ikuya winces as he takes the phone back from me. “Yeah. That was childish.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you nervous for tomorrow?” Hanabi asks me.

I kiss her on the chest, right above the dragon’s head. “No, why would I be? It’s the first word championship for us and on top of everything, it’s in Kyoto, where Asami is, if you don’t remember. I don’t know if I’m nervous about Ikuya meeting her or not meeting at all. I don’t know which is worse.”

Hana starts laughing. “I’m so sorry I asked.”

“What I do know is that I’m going to miss you,” I murmur on her skin, as I kiss my way up to her lips.

“Yeah, me too,” she replies, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I have to go soon, my parents are both home and they are expecting me, Shinobu and Kaede in time for dinner.”

I kiss her one last on the lips, then she gets up and starts to get dressed. 

“It’s going to be a fun show,” she says, chuckling. “The last time we have a family dinner, Kaede and Shinobi yelled at each other for half an hour, mom drank a whole bottle of red wine herself, I ate Kaede’s share of noodles and Kaede’s dad slipped earphones into his ears.”

I bawl my eyes out. “He didn’t try to stop them?”

“Nope. He always says that men need to solve their problems themselves.”

I get up eventually and get dressed as well. “I’ll walk you home. I have to pull Ikuya out of the pool as well,” I mutter and she starts laughing.

“Are your bags ready?”

I snort. “What kind of question is that? I’ve packed my things yesterday.”

Hanabi rolls her eyes. “But of course, what if you forget one of your ten thousand outfits and one million spare swimming suits? After all, you’re going to spend five days in Kyoto.”

“Planning everything ahead helps, okay?” I say, smacking her butt. “Don’t make fun of me.”

She lets out a yelp, then slaps my hand away. “I always pack my things one hour before I have to leave and I don’t forget that many things. All you really need is your phone, earbuds and wallet, Hiyori.”

“Mhm hmm, whatever you say.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you ready to get out of the water?” I ask Ikuya, crouching down at the edge of the pool as I push my hand towards him.

Ikuya pulls his swim cap off, then shakes the water out of his head. “I don’t want to pack my bags,” he admits.

I let out a laugh, then help him out of the pool. “You’re like a little kid. Are you hungry? We can stop somewhere along the way.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, maybe.”

I lean with my back against the wall, aimlessly scrolling through my various apps while I wait for him to get changed. I almost miss Asami’s new post, a short video of her doing a complicated looking spin. She added the location as well, the name of the rink in Kyoto she’s training at.

Ikuya comes out of the locker room right then, the phone in his hand and a new hopeful expression on his face. I look at his screen and I see that he’s looking at the same picture.

“This is the Biellmann spin,” he explains, clearing his voice.

I nod, looking at him. 

“Do you think this is a message for me?” he asks, hopeful, but scared of his own hope at the same time. “Do you think I should go see her?”

I have to admit, I thought of the same thing. However, Ikuya is my best friend and I don’t want to see him hurt again.

“I think she would’ve called you or texted you,” I carefully say. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

He nods, his eyes clouding. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Her event is on the same day as your IM anyways,” I add, gently patting his back. “We can watch her performance online afterwards, okay?”

It’s less painful this way, trust me, Ikuya, I want to tell him, but I bite on my tongue. I can’t stop him if he really wants to go see her. 

“The short program,” he mutters.

“What?”

“The short program is on the same day as my IM,” he repeats, louder this time. “The free skate is on the next day.”

“We’re leaving Kyoto the next day,” I point out. “We can watch the event live on our phones during the train ride, if you’d like.”

“Yeah,” Ikuya says. “Sure, you’re right, Hiyori.”

Something tells me that I’ll be returning to Tokyo alone that day.


	30. Asami's POV

Ikuya is in Kyoto. He’s had his first race as well at the first event of the Word Aquatics Championships that’s being held here. He’s been in Kyoto for more than a day and he hasn’t contacted me in any way.

I screenshot the picture of him with his first silver medal for the 200 m free. Ikuya is standing between Haru, who doesn’t smile as he holds his gold medal and an Australian boy that looks younger than the two of them, all smiles as he throws his arm up, the bronze medal dangling in his hand.

Ever since posting the picture of me doing the Biellmann spin, I’ve almost called Ikuya fifteen times. I really counted.

I text Haru a message, congratulating him for his first gold medal. I’m alone at the rink right now, because Ritsu has gone to the airport to pick Yuri up. I should be going home, since it’s dark outside already, but I somehow don’t feel like it. There’s still a part of me that hopes Ikuya will come. What if I miss him?

I put my earbuds in, then choose a playlist with all the songs of my favorite band, One Ok Rock, before throwing my phone in my backpack. I aimlessly skate around, with no particular goal in mind. I just feel the ice and the wind in my face as I speed up, then jump. I land the triple Lutz perfectly, then jump again, performing a double Toe Loop. However, as I make my second jump I think notice someone from the corner of my eye, which makes me lose my balance.

I fall with a loud thud and I sigh as I roll on my back, my arms and legs spread out. I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of ice through my clothes, when a voice I didn’t think I’d hear calls my name.

“Asami, are you okay?”

I open my eyes and get up, wiping the ice off the back of my pants. I raise my head and stare at Ikuya and I feel numb at first, but then my heart remembers everything I feel for him. I start skating towards him, my eyes never leaving his until I’m close enough so I can jump in his arms.

For a second, I’m afraid he’ll reject me, but he opens his arms and wraps them around me tight. I bury my face in the crook of his neck, brushing a hand through his hair and pulling him even closer.

After a few seconds, his arms around me begin to loosen up, but I’m not ready to let go, so I tighten mine.

“Asami,” he says, but I shake my head. 

“Let me have this,” I ask, hating how weak and trembling my voice sounds. “Five minutes and then I’ll let you go.”

Those five minutes are long overdue when I finally let him step away from me. I shiver when he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear.

“How have you been?” I ask, as I play with my hair, push my hands in my pockets and eventually putting them behind my back.

I feel weird and out of place somehow.

“Good,” he replies, looking everywhere but at me. “Training. You?”

“Same. Congratulations for your silver medal.”

“Thank you.” Ikuya pauses for a few seconds and it feels incredibly awkward. “Good luck on your competition.”

I nod a few times, feeling like in idiot. “Yeah, it’s going to be okay. Thank you.”

It’s his turn to nod at me and I want to scream.

“So, uhn…you’re training alone?” he asks, after a few more seconds of painful silence.

“Just for today, Ritsu has gone to the airport to pick Yuri up. He’s competing in the All – Japan final as well.”

“Good luck to him as well,” Ikuya replies. “Anyways, I’ll let you get back to training.”

“I should’ve called it a day already,” I say, chuckling. “Want to hang out with me more? We can order food or something.”

He shakes his head. “I’m going out with Hiyori and the others tonight. I just dropped by on my way there to see you a little, since we’re friends and all that.”

He used my own words against me and it hurts. I can’t believe Ikuya refuses me. However, I don’t let it show on my face as I say “Ok, have fun then. Tell the others I said hi.”

Ikuya nods. “Yeah, I will.”

He’s already walking away when he says that, so he’s almost at the door when I ask “Do you think we have time to go out for lunch or dinner these days?”

He doesn’t even stop and turn away as he replies “I have to focus on my swimming. Bye, Asami.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh, Asami, you shouldn’t have bothered, we could have ordered something.”

I shrug. “I just felt like it, don’t worry. It’s Yuri’s favorite dish, after all. Also, it’s not like the extra calories will hurt any of us.”

Yuri nodds, excited as he picks up a set of chopsticks. “Itadakimasu! Asami, your katsudon is amazing, it’s been so long since I had it!”

I chuckle. “It’s not as good as your mom makes it, but I’ve tried my best.”

Ritsu eyes me suspiciously. “Did something happen while I was away?”

“No, why do you ask?” I look down at my bowl, as if it’s the most fascinating thing on the planet.

“Because I sure as hell expected to have to roam Kyoto all over to find you,” he teases, poking me with his chopsticks.

I roll my eyes. “I’ve only ever done that once, don’t be such a baby.”

“Yeah, in fucking Barcelona, last year. Thank the gods the Grand Prix Final is in Barcelona again this year, at least I’m a little familiar with the city and maybe I won’t get a heart attack if you run away and go partying.”

Yuri starts laughing. “She wasn’t alone, though. Victor and I were with her.”

“Mhm hmm, don’t remind me,” Ritsu mutters, shivering when he remembers that he was the one to carry a drunk, almost comatose Victor on his back. “Anyways, I’m going out with some friends tomorrow, so you two get to have a free day. Please don’t break anything or get yourselves killed.”

Ritsu and his older brother Ryujiro were born and raised in Kyoto, so it’s natural that he’s got some old friends he wants to see.

“We’ll have lunch with my brother and his boyfriend tomorrow, I don’t have any other plans. We should probably skate a little in the morning, practice our performance for the charity event in Toronto, right, Yuri?”

Ritsu doesn’t give him the opportunity to reply. “Is this secret code for something you shouldn’t be doing?”

“No!” I yell, exasperated and I start laughing. “This season, I promise, no more mischief. I’ll be the best student you’ve ever had.”

“You’re my only student, Asami.”

“Then, the best student you’ll ever have.”

“That’s impossible. I’ll never train anyone ever again, as soon as I get rid of you, I’ll retire in Hawaii,” Ritsu says, taking another bowl of katsudon.

“Prick.”

“Rascal.”

“Jerk.”

“Asshole.”

Yuri throws his head back, laughing. “Okay, guys, time out. Time out!”

We stick our tongues out at Yuri at the same time and the brunet almost chokes on his food laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So, how are Victor and the angry kitten?”

Yuri winces. “I think you’re the only one allowed to call him that, other people wouldn’t live to skate another season.”

Otabek calls him Kot, as well, but I keep it to myself.

“I’ve only seen Yurio train once and it freaked me out so badly that I didn’t sleep for three nights in a row. Victor was losing his mind,” Yuri confesses. “He’s so beautiful, Asami. How did I ever dream about gold when I have to face him?”

I gently pat his head. “You never know what happens. Have faith in yourself, you’re talented just like him.”

Yuri sighs, dropping on the bed face first. “Victor said the exact same thing.”

“That means I’m right, he’s more experienced and knows better,” I reply, chuckling. “I need your help tomorrow.”

“Oh?” He raises his head, a curious look on his face.

“Ikuya came to see me earlier and he was cold as ice. I know I’m the one who broke up with him over the phone,” I mutter when he snorts, “but for the first time in my life, I don’t know if I made right decision.”

“So you want to stalk him because…?”

“I just want to follow him around and see what he’s up to.”

“Because…?”

“I want to see if he moved on.”

“Because…?”

“Because, otherwise I will cut holes in your costume so your dick hangs out when you skate,” I inform him, smiling.

“Got it,” Yuri said. “No more questions asked.”


	31. Rin's POV

Five minutes ago, I was making out with Haru in the locker room. Now I have to take my place on the starting block and take a deep breath to calm myself. The emotions had gotten the better of me and I had a late start at the 200 m free, which fucked up my entire speed. I finished fourth and I had to watch Haru, Ikuya and an Australian kid pose together with their medals.

Haru is not the type to gloat, but his happiness was almost palpable. I wanted to hug him and choke him at the same time.

“Let the water guide you,” he had said to me instead of wishing me good luck. That was such a Haru thing to say to someone. He and his water obsession.

Today is my day, I can feel it. I won’t make the same mistake.

I dive as soon as I hear the signal, my mind clearing when I feel the cool water around me. I resurface and I think I’m completely calm as I start swimming. However, the only image left in my mind as I go forward, stroke after stroke, is of a shark with butterfly wings. That’s the only way I realize I’m actually stressed, my mind tends to find something impossible to focus on when the alternative is going crazy.

My whole body is burning as I push myself to the limits, gaining speed after every stroke. I almost can’t believe the race is over when my palm slaps the wall and I shiver at the small pain travelling through my wrist. I turn around to look at the results as I gasp for air, my hands blindly reaching for the lane rope.

The cheers are deafening as the results finally appear on the screen. I throw my arms up, yelling and cheering, because I got first place. My time is 51.12, I was so close to beating the national record, but I promise myself that I’ll do next time.

My arms tremble as I pull myself out of the water and I can’t help but wave at the people from stand who are calling my name. I spot my sister and my mom, who are sitting next to Haru’s parents, all four of them waving excitedly at me.

I can’t stop myself from grinning, from the moment I pull myself out of the water until the photo session is over. I hold the precious gold medal in my hand and pose with two American swimmers who took second and third place. Polite congratulations pass in English among us after we’re done, and then I’m desperate to reach the locker room, where Haru is probably waiting for me.

“Haru, I did it!” I exclaim when I see him in the back.

The brunet smiles when I throw myself on him, pulling him a tight hug. 

“I can’t breathe,” Haru mutters, gasping when I squeeze him harder. “Congratulations, Rin, you…”

I slam my lips onto his, pushing him into the wall, keeping him in place with my hips. 

“Rin, someone can see us,” he says, breaking the kiss, but I’m not having it.

I place a hand on his neck and I rub my thumb against his jaw, then lean forward and press kisses on the corners of his mouth. I lick his bottom lip, pulling it between my own then as I suck on it. I replace my lips with my teeth, biting on his lower lip and Haru whimpers, his hands gripping my shoulders.

He’s out of breath when I’m finally done with him, smirking as I trace his swollen lips with my thumb.

“You’re so reckless,” he comments, but his lips are curved in a smile.

“I just wanted the prize I deserve,” I reply and he rolls his eyes. “Let’s skip lunch with your sister,” I propose. “We could go directly to the hotel…”

“I promised her,” Haru says, his hand brushing through my still wet hair. He pushes a strand of crimson hair away from my face and chuckles when I grimace. “Go have a shower.”

I look around, then grip his wrist.

“Rin, no, it’s a bad idea,” he tries to say, but I drag him after me anyways.

~~~~~~~~~~

We’re early at the restaurant and I can’t stop staring at Haru. There’s always a soft edge to his otherwise sharp features, his eyes half closed after an orgasm. I grin, pinching his cheek and he slaps my hand away.

“I’ll never let you suck me off after a race,” he mutters. “Never, do you hear me?”

“Oh, come on. It’s not like you hated it.”

“That’s not the point,” he comments, his voice louder. “It’s dangerous.”

“What’s dangerous?” 

Asami chooses this exact moment to appear. She sits next to Haru, giving him a one armed hug, and her figure skater friend, Yuri, sits next to me. I’m not good with remembering names, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget his after that party. I’ve never seen anyone trying so hard to take his clothes off when drunk.

“We’ve been training since this morning and I didn’t hate time to check the result,” Asami says, smiling at me. “How was your butterfly race?”

“Don’t stroke his ego anymore, he’s had enough of that,” Haru intervenes, cutting me off as I open my mouth. “He got first place.”

The brunette beams at me. “Congratulations, Rin!”

“Thank you.”

“It’s out turn,” she tells Yuri, winking at him.

The brunet skater covers his face with both his arms. “Please, stop putting pressure on me,” he says, his voice muffled by his palms.

“He always gets anxious before a competition, he’ll get over it,” Asami informs us, waving her hand.

I check the menu. “What are you guys having?” I cut Haru off before he can even answer. “I wasn’t asking you, mackerel freak.”

“I’m actually ordering the fried noodles,” my boyfriend murmurs, pouting as he looks away.

I perk up and he turns to face me, a small smile upturning the corners of his mouth. “And mackerel.”

“You got me all hopeful,” I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“I’m not having anything suspicious,” Yuri comments, raising his head to look at Asami, who nods a few times.

“Oh, yeah, for sure,” she says. “I’m even tempted to skip dinner, and maybe breakfast tomorrow morning, but Ritsu will kill me.”

“Fried noodles with vegetables?” Yuri proposes and she nods.

“Rin takes one hundred years and a sacrifice to the gods to decide what he’s going to eat,” Haru teases me.

“I’m a quick thinker when it comes to eating you,” I reply and throw my head back when his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

“I’ve noticed the same thing,” Asami mutters, clearing her voice as she pretends to check the menu again.

“Rin, what the hell! Asami, please shut up next time,” Haru exclaims, frowning as his cheeks turn a deep red. “Anyways, mom and dad are in Kyoto.”

Asami bawls her eyes out. “What?”

Haru nods, wincing. “They want to have dinner with the both of us after your free skate.”

“Oh, no. If dad starts saying that it’s about time we leave our hobbies behind and get some real jobs, I’m flipping the table,” the brunette says and she looks dead serious.

“Just be nice. They were considerate enough not to bother you before the competition. They will come to see yours tomorrow and they wanted it to be a surprise, but I know how you react, so I decided to just tell you,” he tells her. “Pretend you’re surprised in a pleasant way tomorrow, okay?”

“Ugh, fine. So, uhm, did you guys have fun last night?” she asks us, suddenly changing the subject.

“You know our rule, Asami, no sex when we have races,” I answer, deciding to tease Haru one more time. He looks like he’s about to suffocate and it amuses me to no end.

“I was talking about you going out,” she deadpans, offering her brother a glass of water.

“We didn’t go out last night,” I reply. “Why?”

She blinks, pondering a few seconds before she finally admits “Ikuya came to the rink yesterday to see me and he mentioned that he was going out with Hiyori and the others. By that I thought he mean you two as well.”

“They didn’t tell us anything, so I don’t know. Why are you asking?” I insist.

“No reason,” she responds quickly.

“Oh, I saw the photos you and Ikuya took for that underwear brand. They updated their site,” I add and she winces.

“I didn’t look at them yet,” she says quietly. “Maybe after the final.”

“At least you left him a break up gift.”

Haru kicks me under the table and I wince, but once I start talking, there’s no stopping me.

“Considering the way you left at the All – Japan, I’m surprised he came to see you,” I point out and Haru hits my leg under the table again. “Ow, Haru!”

“Rin, you promised.”

“Why are you so quick to judge me?” she snaps. “According to Makoto, you treated Haru like shit when you first came back from Australia. Also, recently, when you got jealous, you…”

Yuri raises his arms. “Time out, people! That’s enough.”

“I’m sorry I yelled at you, Rin,” Asami forces out.

“I’m sorry I judged you,” I reply after a third, more powerful kick from Haru. “That’s going to leave a bruise, you know.”

“Everybody calm down, please, my anxiety is going through the roof,” Yuri pleads with us.

“I’d like a quiet lunch as well,” Haru supports him, his eyes on me, before he turns them to his sister.

Asami raises her hands in surrender, plastering a fake smile on her face.

The waiter picks that exact moment to bring our food and we all agree that arguing on an empty stomach was definitely a bad idea.


	32. Hiyori's POV

“You look like you’re about to pass out, Hiyori. Relax, everything will be okay, you’ve trained enough.” Ikuya rubs a thumb over his chin. “You’ve got this, okay? You can beat the others.”

He pauses and we stare at each other silently for a few seconds.

“I don’t know what else to say,” Ikuya quietly admits and I chuckle.

I surprise him by wrapping my arms around him shortly. “It’s fine, I think I’m okay now.”

I’m a perfectionist and taking third place and a bronze medal at the 100 m backstroke is okay, but not amazing. I might be too harsh on myself – according to Hanabi, I’m my greatest enemy, because I can’t stop criticizing myself.

Hana lets out a loud sigh. “Are you done? You act like he’s going to war or something.”

She walks up to me, then slaps both her hands on my shoulders, shaking me a bit. “Win me a silver or gold medal. No pressure.”

I wince and I feel a headache coming. “No pressure, okay,” I murmur, taking a bottle of water and start drinking from it.

Hana starts laughing. “I’m joking. Win if you feel like it, take last place, I don’t care. Your dick is just as big, no matter how many medals you dangle on it.”

I choke on the water, coughing violently and my girl pats me on the back. “Try not to die before your race, though.”

“The wisdom of your ancestors is present among us today, Hanabi,” Ikuya mutters, shaking his head.

“I’m just trying to be supportive, okay? I don’t even like swimming, figure skating is my favorite sport to watch.”

She slaps a hand over her mouth, looking terrified for a second. 

Ikuya waves a hand at her, feigning indifference. “I’m not that sensitive.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, clearing her voice. ‘Want me to badmouth her or something, so you’d feel better?”

“No, I’m fine, she’s fine, we’re friends, we’re both focusing on our events, you know the story. Anyways,” he says, turning to me. “Good luck, Hiyori.”

Hanabi tilts her head back, expecting a kiss, so I lower my head and plant a short peck on her lips, before I start making my way to my designated lane. I descend into the water, taking my position, my whole body tensed and shivering in anticipation. The swimmer to my left is Lee Ji – Hoon, nicknamed Junnie, the one who holds the record in South Korea in the 200 m backstroke. To my right is a muscular American guy who looks like he eats his competitors alive.

I take a deep breath, trying to clear my mind of unnecessary thoughts. I push myself back when I hear the signal and I’m blinded by the lights above for a second. The noise dies down as the cool water envelopes me and it’s enough to calm me down. I start out strong, but I don’t overexert myself in the beginning. I feel unusually relaxed, like I’m floating in the middle of the ocean, without a care in the world. 

The usual burning sensation in my muscles is what pulls me out of daydreaming. I start swimming faster and faster as the race is coming to an end, enjoying the feeling of adrenaline. My whole body is on fire as I put all my strength and energy in every stroke, testing my own limits.

My left palm touches the wall and I take my time, letting the water cool me down before I take my goggles off. I squint my eyes, trying to make out the results, when Junnie holds out his hand to me.

“You almost had me,” he says, smiling. 

I shake his hand, mirroring his smile, before I turn my head to the screen again. I finished second, but there’s only a 0.04 difference to our times. I bawl my eyes out in disbelief, then take his hand again when he offers to help me out of the swimming pool.

“I’m Ji – Hoon,” he says, still smiling.

I almost tell him that I know, but manage to say “Hiyori, nice to meet you,” just in time.

He looks me up and down in a way that reminds me of Rin devouring Haru with his eyes and I shiver a little.

“Likewise,” he replies. “We should hang out sometimes. How about tonight, are you busy tonight?”

Woah, there. This escalated too quickly for me.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” I say, “I already made plans with my girlfriend tonight, but I’m free tomorrow.”

The Korean swimmer smirks. “I can work with that, Hiyori.”

He stands a little too close when we pose together with our medals, but I convince myself it’s not real. I’m just too suspicious of people, that’s all.

However, when we walk together to the locker rooms and he slaps my butt before saying goodbye, I finally understand it wasn’t all in my head.

~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing I did after the photo session ended was to kiss Hanabi and put the silver medal around her neck. The second and my worst mistake was letting Ikuya bait me into telling them about my encounter with Junnie.

Hanabi has fallen on the bed, her laughter only gasps of air by now. She has her arms wrapped around herself and tears have been streaking down her face for five minutes now.

“You can stop any minute,” I say, regretting that I ever opened up my mouth and told her about Junnie.

“I can’t breathe,” she squeals, wiping at her eyes. “Hiyori, I’m dying.”

“I hold you responsible,” I inform Ikuya. “You just had to point out that I have a new best friend, right?”

The teal haired boy shrugs. “You really seemed to have a heartfelt moment in the pool, you know? He just couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

The loud laughter coming from the bed makes me want to break something.

“Hanabi,” I warn her.

The brunette gets up, trying in vain to wipe the black streaks off her face. I sigh and bring her a napkin, but as soon as we make eye contact, she starts laughing again.

“I’m going out for a bit,” Ikuya suddenly says, throwing a jacket over his shoulders.

I don’t ask where he’s going, because he’ll probably go see Asami again. He’s putting a brave face, but I know it’s hard for him to move on.

“I’ll take Hanabi to the train station soon, too,” I reply. “Want me to pick up something to eat on my way back?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m good. Bye, Hanabi, have a safe trip back to Tokyo.”

“Good luck on your IM, Ikuya,” she tells him, getting up from the bed so she can give him a tight hug.

As soon as he leaves, she joins me on the couch. I wrap an arm around her and she rests her head on my shoulder.

“I’m worried about him,” Hana murmurs, cuddling closer to me. “He seems so…off. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“He told me that Asami asked him to hang out with her and he refused, because of his pride or something, but he ended up feeling guilty for hurting her.” I shake my head. “I’m doing my best not to meddle, since it’s between them, but I kept trying to tell him that she’d do something to take back what she said.”

“The thing is, she may be going through something that we don’t know about,” she says. “But you’re right, this is between them, I should stop reading into every little thing that he does.”

I hum, then kiss her temple. 

“My parents will be gone a whole week after you return to Tokyo,” she begins, brushing a hand through my hair. “Want to cook for me and play with Sushi for a week?” she proposes, letting her palm move to my cheek.

I slip a hand under her blouse and she hisses. 

“Your hand is cold.”

“Your skin is hot, so it’s the perfect match,” I retort and she chuckles. “And yes, fine, I’ll come. Only for cute, little Sushi.”

She makes a face at me and I lower my head, pressing my lips onto hers in a short, but firm kiss. Hana threads her fingers through the hair at the base of my head, pulling me even closer for another kiss. And another. And another.

We’re almost late at the train station because of this, but still we manage to arrive in time.

“Text me when you get home,” I tell her, then kiss her forehead.

She nods and I kiss her lips next, before she finally gets inside the train.


	33. Haru's POV

I only have the 50 m free race left and I’m competing against Kinjou again. Azuma told me that it’s a good chance he learned how to swim breathless as well and wanted to train me even harder than before.

For the first time in my life, I want a break after this championship is over. I want a week to myself, so I can swim at my own pace, whenever I want, however I want. I feel unusually exhausted.

Rin places a hand on my forehead, with concern in his eyes. “Haru, you don’t look so well, are you okay?”

I swat his hand away. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He grips my wrists with one hand, placing the other on my forehead again, to check my temperature. “You don’t seem to have a fever.”

“I’m just tired, that’s all. I’m not used to all this pressure, I just want to swim free.”

The crimson haired man starts laughing. “Of course. Here I was, worried about your well being, when you’re just pouting because you have to compete against your will. Pardon us mortals for making your Royal Assholeness mingle with peasants.”

“Sometimes, I wonder if that shark brain of yours is connected to your mouth, Rin.”

He laughs again, swinging an arm over my shoulders. “Aw, I’ll never get tired of your cute little attempts at banter, Haru.”

“That’s it, you’re moving out,” I deadpan, then start walking towards the pool, ignoring Rin as he calls my name over and over again.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You don’t look so well, Haru – chan,” Kaede teases me as he smirks at me. “Did your boyfriend keep you up last night?”

“Keep running your mouth, Kinjou, maybe something intelligent will come out eventually. I highly doubt it, but one can always hope,” I retort.

To my surprise, he throws his head back, laughing. “I like you, Nanase. I don’t do this friendship shit you and your loser friends keep talking about, but I’d be willing to make an exception for you. You can always ditch those weirdos and come spend time with the adults.”

I snort, adjusting my goggles. “I’m going to have to refuse this great honor.”

“You say that now, but wait until you find out who you’re going to spend your next training camp with,” Kaede says, chuckling.

I don’t reply, but my stomach drops. I didn’t think about training camps abroad yet, even though Azuma mentioned it one time. I shake my head, trying to clear my head, but it’s no use. Thoughts of unknown places and foreign languages swarm me and I feel like drowning.

“Think like Asami,” I mutter to myself, as I take my position on the starting block. “Think like Rin,” I whisper again, taking a deep breath.

We all dive when we hear the signal and I manage to calm down when the water surrounds me. I resurface, putting everything I have in my strokes. I refuse to let Kaede’s words distract me, and I push my body beyond his limits. My lungs are burning and my brain makes me believe I’m going to drown.

Then, it’s all over as my hand reaches the wall and I can finally breath again. I swing one arm over the lane rope, then take my swim cap off with the other. I close my eyes, rubbing the bridge of my nose between my fingers after I remove the goggles as well and let them dangle around my neck.

The cheers are deafening, but as usual, I take my time to check the results.

I flinch when someone touches my forearm, then open my eyes to see Kaede staring at me. He’s got an arrogant smile on his face, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Congratulations, Haru – chan,” he tells me on a tone that suggests the exact opposite.

I push his hand away, sick of all his shit already, then begin to turn around so I can check the results myself, when he grips my goggles and pulls me suddenly towards him. 

“I said I like you, Nanase, but don’t provoke me,” he mutters, his smile never leaving his lips.

“Let go,” I reply, trying to move away from him, but he rotates his hand, twisting the goggles so that the elastic is squeezing my neck. He pulls me even closer, and I shiver when he licks the shell of my ear.

“We’re going to have so much fun at the training camp,” he murmurs into my ear.

“I suggest you let him go before I jump in there and drown you in front of the whole planet.”

We both look up at Rin, who’s crouched at the edge of the pool, his eyes cold as ice.

“I’m not joking, Kinjou,” he adds as he offers me his hand and helps me out of the pool. “Touch Haru one more time and I’ll fuck you up so badly you’ll never be able to swim.”

I shiver at the aggressive, yet quiet voice he uses.

“Haru, congratulations,” he tells me, smiling and giving me a one armed hug. “You finished first.”

“You won’t be able to protect him all the time, Matsuoka,” Kaede says as he pulls himself out of the pool. “Remember this.”

“Oh, but I can,” Rin retorts. “Don’t underestimate me, Kinjou.”

Some officials approach us then, so Rin and Kaede drop their hushed argument. The bronze medalist is the same Australian boy from the 200 m free race. 

We all pose together, Kaede being on his best behavior in front of the camera as he holds his silver medal up. However, when the photo session is over, he winks at me and blows me a kiss.

“I don’t need Rin to protect me, you know,” I tell him and he grins. “You don’t scare me, Kaede.”

“Yet.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m so fucking angry!” Rin yells when we’re back in our hotel room. “I want to kill that fucker.”

“It’s fine, Rin, let it go, ” I tell him, sighing.

Hiyori, Ikuya, Asahi and Natsuya are here as well, because we decided to order food together.

“Hiyori calmed him down after he punched him in the face,” Asahi says. “Oh, I know! Let’s gang up on him and…”

“As much as I like the idea, we’ve just started swimming at the global level,” Ikuya points out. “You do realize the shit we’d all be in if we teach Kaede a lesson like that, right?”

“Only if we get caught.”

Natsuya starts laughing. “Calm down, Asahi, you’re okay. Kaede only goes after top swimmers.”

The redhead blinks a few times, in disbelief over Natsuya’s cruel comment. 

“You asshole!” Asahi exclaims. “A bronze medal for my 400 m butterfly is amazing, okay?”

“Don’t mind my brother, he’s just nervous for our IM tomorrow, he knows he’s going to lose,” Ikuya says, chuckling.

“Come here, little rascal,” Natsuya mutters, tackling his teal haired brother on the floor, in an improptu wrestling/tickling match.

“No, someone help me!” Ikuya yells, his voice breaking when his older brother starts tickling him. “Nii – san, please, no more,” he begs, with tears in his eyes. 

Ikuya’s cheeks are ruby red and streaked with tears when Natsuya is finally done with him.

“I’ll get you back,” he threatens as he wipes at his eyes. “You’ll regret this, nii – san.”

Hiyori checks his phone. “Oh, fuck. I have to go meet Ji – Hoon, I promised I’ll hang out with him tonight.”

“Don’t you mean Junnie?” Rin teases him.

We all know the story of how the Korean swimmer was hitting on Hiyori after their 200 m backstroke race.

“Don’t you need a chaperone?” Asahi asks, laughing.

“I’ll hit you,” Hiyori replies, matter – of – factly.

“Be careful with him,” I intervene and everybody turns to look at me. “Asami’s advice,” I add. “She knows him from a photo shoot.”

Ikuya freezes and I realize what that sounded like.

“They didn’t do it together,” I tell him, trying to reassure him.

Rin slaps a hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his laughter and I wince. 

“That sounded like it wasn’t supposed to, Haru,” Asahi comments.

“No need to walk on eggshells around me,” Ikuya declares, picking up a box of fried noodles. “I’m not that fragile.”

Natsuya pats his back, a sympathetic look on his face, before he pulls out his laptop.

“Let’s watch something,” he suggests, changing the subject.


	34. Hiyori's POV

Ji – Hoon perks up when he sees me. “Hiyori, hey.”

“I’m sorry, am I late?”

“No, I’m just here early,” he replies, smiling. “Are you hungry?”

“A little, yeah,” I say. I’ve only had a few spring rolls earlier, knowing I’d hang out with him.

“I was thinking we could pick a restaurant on Pontocho Alley, I heard that in the evening you have a change of spotting a maiko or a geiko,” he says, wincing. “Did I butcher those words or did I get them right?”

“No, it’s fine,” I reply, chuckling. “Sure, that sounds good.”

We walk there, since we’re not that far away and the weather is nice. Junnie is fun to hang out with, he’s full of funny stories from all the training camps he attended.

“Usually, I have some friends with me, but this time I’m all alone,” he tells me. “I’m glad you accepted to hang out with me tonight, I was so damn lonely.”

He stops in his tracks, then places a hand on my shoulder. “Hiyori, look!”

“That’s a maiko. You can tell the difference between them by looking at their hairstyle. Maiko use their own hair, not wigs like full fledged geisha, and have very elaborate flower ornaments,” I explain and he nods, snapping a quick photo of the girl as she passes us.

“You’re so smart, Hiyori. I like that about you.”

I tense when he lets his hand travel to the small of my back, resting his chin on my shoulder as he shows me the picture he just took. “Is this okay?”

I adjust my glasses. “Yeah, the dim lights of this alley make it pretty interesting.”

Ji – Hoon’s arm snakes around my waist as he opens the front camera of his phone, then spins us around until the soft glow of a street lantern lights our faces perfectly.

He takes a few selfies before I can protest, laughing when the last one catches me rolling my eyes.

“I’m posting this one to my Insta story,” he says.

“What? No, delete it,” I demand and he starts laughing. 

That’s the moment I notice the piercing in his lip. Something on my face must have given it away, because he sticks his tongue out for a second.

“Looks pretty cool, don’t you think?” he asks. 

“Looks like it was pretty painful,” I retort. “I’m not a fan of piercings, honestly. Tattoos are more spectacular, in my opinion,” I add, thinking about Hana’s amazing dragon.

His lips spread in a mischievous smile. “I could make you change your mind.”

I clear my voice, looking away. “So, which restaurant do you want?”

“Oh, let’s go in here,” he suggests, his eyes landing on a restaurant across the alley from us. “I read about it on an article, it’s in an old geisha house and the food is amazing.”

We’re lucky because there’s only one private booth left, but I make a point of sitting across the table from Ji – Hoon. We order lots of things, then make small talk until the waiter brings our drinks.

“So, tell me about your girlfriend,” Junnie suddenly asks me, his eyes staring into mine as his mouth closes around the straw in his glass. “Is she a swimmer too?”

I break eye contact, adjusting my glasses and running a hand through my hair as I feel my cheeks warming up.

“No, she’s a literature girl. She wants to become a writer,” I reply, smiling involuntarily as I think about Hana. 

“Oh, that sounds cool. How did the two of you meet?” he continues, leaning back in his chair as he studies me.

“We stopped to pet a stray kitten and she ended up adopting it,” I settle on saying. 

I yelp when I feel his leg slowly rubbing against my own.

“Ji – Hoon!” I exclaim and he chuckles.

“Sorry, I can’t help myself, you’re too cute.” He raises his arms. “I promise to be good from now on.”

I shake my head, deciding to let it go. “It’s fine,” I mutter.

The waiter brings us our food right then, so we both perk up. Junnie and I both love seafood, especially shrimps, so we ordered them steamed and fried, as well as shrimp dumplings.

Junnie picks up a fried shrimp with his chopsticks and offers it to me, laughing when I roll my eyes. “Humor me, Hiyori.”

I sigh. “If I do it once, will you leave me alone?”

The Korean swimmer nods, so I place a hand on the table, supporting my weight as I lean forward so he can give me the shrimp. Instead of feeding me the shrimp, Ji – Hoon leans over the table as well, gripping my chin between his fingers and slamming his mouth over mine.

I begin to pull back, but then his hand latches onto my neck, keeping me in place for a few more seconds as he slips his tongue between my lips. The piercing grazes my palate and I flinch, then I bite his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood before I grab his shoulder and push him roughly back on his chair.

I wipe at my mouth furiously. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Ji – Hoon winces as he rubs at his bottom lip. “You bit me!” he exclaims, somewhat in disbelief.

I throw my share of the money on the table, then pick up my phone and wallet and storm out of the booth, ignoring the Korean man as he calls after me.

I slam into a girl as I exit the restaurant and I would’ve knocked her to the ground if I didn’t catch her by the forearms in time. 

“Hiyori?” she asks, stepping back.

“Asami.” I sigh, because she’s the last person I wanted to see right now.

“What happened?” she questions, her concern genuine. 

Her eyes widen as she looks behind me, so I turn around as well, in time to see Ji – Hoon walking towards us.

“Asami, such a pleasant…” the Korean guy begins, but his sentence is cut short when the brunette slaps him across the face hard enough to rattle his teeth. “…surprise,” he adds, rubbing at his jawline. “I see you’ve kept your promise.”

“I told you, I’ll greet you with a slap every time we meet because of how you treated Yuratchka,” she replies, grinning as she flexes her wrist. 

“I was just joking, then and now, too.”

I roll my eyes. “Look, no harm done, but respect my fucking boundaries next time you see me.”

Ji – Hoon raises his hands. “Okay, I’m sorry, don’t be such a stuck up snob, Hiyori. Come back inside so we can finish our dinner.”

I shake my head, taking out my phone to call an Uber. “I’ll pass, I’m not hungry anymore.”

He shrugs. “Learn how to take a joke next time,” he says as he returns in the restaurant.

“Do you mind if we share that Uber?” Asami asks, following me to the main road. 

“Only if you keep your mouth shut and don’t ask me anything about Ikuya,” I snap and she widens her eyes.

“No need to be so angry with me, Hiyori,” she mutters, looking down. “Ikuya and I are friends now, everything is okay.”

I groan, brushing a hand through my hair in frustration. “Did you forget who you’re talking to right now, Asami? I’m his best friend, remember? I know when he’s struggling and hiding it.”

Her bottom lip quivers and her eyes fill with tears, so I sigh in defeat. “I’m sorry for taking my frustration out on you.”

She shakes her head. “No, you’re free to hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, don’t pull a victim’s complex on me right now, it’s not like you at all. He’s my best friend and you hurt him, so I’m mad at you, but I don’t hate you,” I explain and she nods. “Come on, the Uber’s here,” I tell her, opening the door for her and letting her get inside first.

~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s so messed up,” Ikuya comments after I tell him about Ji – Hoon. “So, what happened next?”

I pause for a second, then say “I called for an Uber and came back, why are you asking?”

“You hesitated for a second, Hiyori, so I know you’re hiding something from me. Out with it.”

I wince. “I bumped into Asami.”

“And?”

“And we shared the Uber.”

“And?” he insists.

“Gods above, Ikuya! Just go see her again if you’re so caught up in her feelings for her!” I exclaim. “We can stay in Kyoto for one more fucking day so you can see her fucking free skate. Happy now?”

Ikuya throws his arms around me. “Yes. Can you go to the lobby and tell them we’re staying for one more night? The receptionist is freaking me out.”

“Yes, sir, as your secretary, it’s my job to take care of such things,” I retort and he starts laughing. “Should I make a coffee while you wait? Oh no, you can’t drink coffee, you have a race tomorrow so you need to fucking sleep, not think about your ex – girlfriend. How about some decaffeinated green tea?”

“You can make one for you as well,” Ikuya says and I roll my eyes.

“Thank you, sir. Now kindly fuck off,” I throw at him, his laughter following me as I exit the hotel room.


	35. Ikuya's POV

All I can think about is that Asami has her short program today. Even as I stand on the starting block and stare at the swimming pool in front of me, I can’t focus properly because of her.

I miss her so damn much. I was so happy during All – Japan, knowing that she was in the stands and might decide to come wait for me in the waiting room, near the locker rooms or right at the edge of the pool.

I sigh and my head drops. I should have told her the truth when I went to visit her at the rink. Instead, I let my pride get the better me, thinking that a little revenge will make me feel better. It didn’t work, I feel worse. I feel awful knowing we’re in the same city, but we avoid each other.

Natsuya calls me, bringing me back from my thoughts and I notice I’m the only one still standing. The rest of the swimmers are already in position, ready to dive when they hear the signal. I shake my head, trying to push the thoughts of Asami in the back of my mind as I take a deep breath.

I dive in when I hear the signal, using my anger and frustration I feel towards my failed relationship with Asami like fuel as I push forwards, stroke after stroke. I’m faster than I’ve ever been, my traitorous mind conjuring up an image of her waiting for me at the edge of the pool. She’s going to leave if I don’t finish the race fast enough.

I almost don’t register as I switch from butterfly to backstroke, then to breaststroke and finally freestyle. My whole body is burning up as I cut through the water, somehow knowing I’m first when I slap the wall. 

I grab onto the edge of the pool, turning around to check the results as the cheers coming from the stands overwhelm me. And there it is, the wonderful number 1 in front of my name.

I almost slip and fall back in the water when the voice from the speakers announces that Kirishima Ikuya, swimming for Japan, broke the record of 4:06.05 for the 400 m IM. My time is 4:05.

An American swimmer finishes second and the bronze medalist is from Australia, both of them staring at me in disbelief as they pull themselves out of the water. Natsuya finished fourth, but he’s got tears in his eyes as he pulls me in a bear hug, before some officials guide me and the other two medalists to the photo session. We politely congratulate each other, then we each make our way to out teammates.

I feel dizzy and I can’t believe this happened to me. I am confident in my skills as a swimmer, but I didn’t think I’d start breaking national records. I chuckle to myself, still in disbelief as I make my way to the locker rooms. I want to shower and put some clothes on before I call my parents. I know they must have watched me live on their laptop, but still, I want to talk to them.

That’s when I see her. She’s wearing a large black blazer over her costume – black tight pants and a see – through deep purple top with lots of crystals on it. Her long black hair is intricately braided around her head and is adorned with crystals as well and she looks amazing.

I rub at my eyes, thinking I’m hallucinating for a second, but then pick up the pace as I make my way towards her. Then the unthinkable happens.

“Ikuya!”

A brown haired girl runs towards me and tackles me, wrapping her arms around me suddenly. I think I’ve seen her before, but I can’t remember where for the life of me. I open my mouth to ask her to move the fuck away, when she stands on her toes and kisses me.

It takes me one second to grab her shoulders and pull her away, but the kiss happened nonetheless. I raise my head to look at Asami, who’s staring at me dumbfounded, her mouth agape. In an instant, she regains her composure and walks slowly towards me, plastering a perfect, but fake smile on her lips.

“Ikuya, congratulations. I’m the last one to skate, so I just came here to see your race,” she explains, keeping her cool. “That’s what friends do, right?”

I shake my head. “Asami, wait…”

“Yuri is waiting for me in the car,” she replies.

“I’ll come see your free skate tomorrow,” I promise, trying to push the brown haired girl away from me, but she tightens her arms.

Asami nods, her face betraying nothing. “Fine, see you tomorrow then. Congratulations,” she repeats, as she takes her leave.

“Can you let go?” I snap at the brown haired girl. “Who even are you?”

“Yumi,” she replies, pouting. “I can’t believe you forgot about me, we had so much fun when…”

“Ah, I remember now,” I groan. “Why did you do that?”

“I came here to support you and confess my feelings to you,” she answers, boldly. “Ikuya, I’ve loved you for a long time, please accept my feelings,” she adds, closing her eyes shut and blushing.

I look up at the ceiling, cursing her fucking timing.

“I’m sorry, Yumi, but I don’t feel the same way about you,” I reply, gently placing my hands on her shoulders.

“You don’t even give me a chance,” she murmurs. “Take me on a date and you can give me your response after that.”

Yumi places a pink piece of paper in my hands, then stands on her toes to kiss me on the cheek.

“I’ll be waiting for you to text me,” she says, turning on her heels and leaving before I can say no.

Fuck!

~~~~~~~~~~

“Nii – san, enough, you’re smothering me,” I protest when Natsuya hugs me for the fifteenth time today. 

“I can’t believe my baby brother broke a record today,” he says for the hundreth time, sniffling. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Mom cried at the phone and dad said a stoic congratulations. Guess which one of them Natsuya takes after,” I tell Hiyori and he starts laughing.

“That’s a tough question,” he mutters and my brown haired brother throws an empty can of juice after him. 

Natsuya reaches for another one on the table, but his hand grabs the pink piece of paper Yumi gave me. 

“What’s this?” he asks, picking it up and looking at it.

I groan, folding my arms on the small table and dropping my head on them. “Asami came to see my race today, all dressed up for her short program, but then Yumi appeared out of nowhere and jumped on me.”

Natsuya starts laughing. “Well, maybe Asami will finally realize that she lost you. So, what happened with Yumi?”

“She confessed her feelings and I rejected her, but then she asked me to take her on a date and decide after. She gave me that so I could text her and invite her on a date properly.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Hiyori asks, amused.

“Ignore her, what else?”

Natsuya shrugs. “If you don’t have any objections for her in particular, I say go out with her. You never know.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s no use waiting for Asami, she has already set her priorities straight as far as I know. She wants to make the Olympic team, but let’s say she doesn’t and she comes back to you, tells you how sorry she is and how wrong she was and that she wants you back. Knowing you, Ikuya, you’ll forgive her in an instant and take her back, then pour even more feelings and energy into your relationship. However, what if Asami leaves the same way as soon as a new figure skating season starts and her events and training are suddenly more important than you?”

Natsuya folds his arms, looking at me and expecting an answer.

I blink, staring at him in disbelief. “Oh, you’re done? I was just waiting for the part where the aliens invade our planet and you know, the apocalypse comes.”

Hiyori starts laughing and my brother passes a hand over his face. “Fine, be like this. I’ll let you off today, since you broke the record and got your first gold medal. But think about what I’ve said anyways.”

Soon, Natsuya leaves so he can be at the train station in time. He’s leaving tonight, because an old friend of his, Nao, has just arrived in Tokyo and for some unknown – very much, mhm hmm – reason, my brother can’t wait until tomorrow morning to see him.

As soon as he leaves, though, Hiyori opens his laptop. “Here,” he says. “The event today that was broadcasted live, I found it for you,” he adds, sitting next to me on the sofa.

We watch it all, first the men singles, next the ladies’ singles, even though I know she’s the last to skate. Hiyori makes a few comments on Yuri’s performance, considering he’s the only one he knows out of the men that skate, but I barely keep myself from scrolling through the whole damn thing so I can search for Asami’s performance.

It’s even more spectacular than I remember, because she’s wearing that beautiful costume. She starts out strong with a triple Loop, but I remember she did a quad Loop that night when she first showed me her choreos for this year. However, now that she’s competing, she must abide by the rules and the short program for women don’t have quads.

Her short program consists of lots of spins, even her step sequence is made to resemble spins and twists. I almost gasp when she bends backwards so much at one point that she touches the ice with the tips of her fingers, because she didn’t have this when she skated for me.

Just like she explained to me, there’s nothing feminine and delicate about her performance. It’s all about power as she lands jump after jump, her movement resembling those of a male skater.

“She gives me the same vibe as Yuri,” Hiyori comments.

“Yeah, her coach choreographed this for her, a short program that would be suited for himself, minus the quads because she’s not allowed to have them,” I explain and he nods.

Asami ends her short program with a Biellmann’s spin and Hiyori perks up.

“I don’t remember what’s this called, but it’s the spin from her picture the other day.”

“Yeah, the Biellmann’s spin,” I reply.

We watch her bow and wave to the people in the stands as they cheer for her, yelling Hebi - chan and throwing red roses and snake plush toys on the rink. Then, Asami gets back to her coach, who hugs her before they make their way to the Kiss and Cry area. The camera switches to Ritsu and Asami as they sit there, both holding snake plush toys as they wait for the results. He’s got his head turned towards her, explaining something about her performance probably, when they finally get her result, 73.51 points, the highest so far. 

“She’s got almost ten points more than the girl currently in second place,” Hiyori remarks, eyes wide.

“The free skate is the one that matters,” I tell him. “That’s the one she changes the most as she advances from one event to the next. In the Grand Prix Final, she usually moves most of her jumps in the second half of her short program, so she can get more points. Otherwise, she doesn't change this one too much.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

After that, the camera switches to her giving an interview, talking about how her short program depicts her status of a fan for her coach, Ritsu, she explains that her costume is actually his from when he was younger, they just adjusted it a little for her body and then thanks everyone for their support.

Throughout all this, Asami doesn’t smile. Not even once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Asami is skating on her short program and the costume she is wearing are inspired by Yuzuru's performance:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w963Kl0cpb4&t=406s
> 
> Also, when describing her choreo, I had two performances in mind, Yuzuru's from above and Alexandra's:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ZSHKUSwyc


	36. Asami's POV

Ritsu adjusts my costume for the fifth time, so eventually I grip his wrists, squeezing lightly. “You’re making me nervous.”

“I know, but you look so pretty,” he replies, chuckling.

From the waist up, my costume resembles a kimono, dark blue, like the night sky with a dark burgundy part that looks like an obi. On my left shoulder, I have a few sakura flowers, each petal adorned with small crystals. Even the flowers are made with a faint pink, almost white shiny material, so when I move, they sparkle in a subtle, elegant way. The costume ends with two blue flowy parts that cover my thighs, but leave the black bodysuit underneath my costume visible.

“You look so calm, Asami,” Ritsu points out. “Almost like you’re not even the least bit excited. Double Axel, remember?”

I nod. “I am excited, I’m just impatient at the same time and I’m trying to control myself.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go.”

We slowly make our way to the rink, in time to see the girl that has just finished her free skate bow to the public. As soon as I’m allowed, I slide on the ice, taking a few turns as I test my skates, while waving to the public. I take my place in the middle of the rink, holding my arms out in a kabuki dance pose as I wait for the music to start.

I raise my head when the song starts softly, spinning in place and moving my arms elegantly before I start sliding. Usually, when I skate, I feel like I’m floating, like I’m a weightless feather. This time, though, something feels wrong. I have to think about my choreography, twist your body, keep your arms up, slide backwards, raise your leg, tense your core and jump, remember, a triple Lutz first.

I forget that I have a triple Salchow, triple Loop combination next and prepare to jump a triple Flip. I remember too late what I’m supposed to do and end up rotating only twice. Not only that, when I land, because I got flustered, I trip and fall. I recover immediately, swearing under my breath, but still force myself to stay calm. It’s just a mistake, you can recover from it, Asami, breath. 

Ikuya and his new girlfriend are present in my mind and I can’t concentrate. This is exactly why I ended our relationship before I came here, so I won’t get distracted. But instead of focusing like I’m supposed to, I kept trying to find out things about him and ended up going to his race yesterday. Sometimes I wish my coach was a severe and strict one that wouldn’t let me do shit like this before a competition and keep pe under lock and key.

I know my parents, as well as Haru and Rin are in the stands, watching me. I refused to see them before my free skate, because I was afraid Ikuya might be with them and I know I wouldn’t be able to look at him. 

I think of Ritsu and how disappointed we’ll both be if I flop my performance at my first event of the season. I take another deep breath, clearing my mind perfectly. There’s only me and the ice.

I’m back on track as I land a triple Loop perfectly, then continue with my Camel Spin and my step sequence. Since I’m the last one in this final, I get the advantage of rearranging the elements of my free skate so that I can get as many points as I need. It’s the first event, so people tend to get emotional and fall more often. Considering the score of the girl leading right now, I’ll be fine if I just land the two combinations I have planned for the second half of my free skate. 

The double Axel followed by the geisha bow, as Ikuya called it, is the last jump before the second half of my performance starts. The music also changes and I skate around, picking up speed. As soon as Sayuri’s Theme for the movie starts, I perform my double Axel, triple Toeloop, double Toeloop combination and manage to land it perfectly. I don’t feel tired at all, so I’m confident as I jump again, a triple Flip, double Toeloop combination this time.

The performance is over before I realize and I almost forget to bow to my audience when I’m finished. I skate around the rink, waving to the people cheering for me. I almost get hit with a snake plushie, but manage to catch it instead. It’s a stuffed hooded cobra with an amusingly long and thin forked tongue. I decide to keep this one and I swing it over one shoulder as I skate back to Ritsu, so we can go to the Kiss and Cry area.

“I can’t believe you fell on your ass,” Ritsu says, shaking his head. 

I hit him right in the face with the snake. “I’ll still win gold, relax. I was the only one with two combinations any way.”

“Yes, but…”

I hit him with the snake again and he snatches it from my hands.

“No, my little cobra snake!” I whine and he rolls his eyes.

“Listen to me, Asami,” he mutters as we sit there, waiting for my results. “Skate Canada and the charity event in Toronto are super close to one another. I want you to focus more, otherwise you’ll flop them both. Okay?”

I look down, suddenly ashamed of myself. “Okay.”

Ritsu swings an arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer as he lets out a sigh of relief. “I hate lecturing you, rascal.”

Ritsu wraps both arms around me and kisses the top of my head when he finally get my result, 148.27 points, not amazingly high, but the best one anyways. 

I managed to win gold, with a total score of 221.78.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Where’s your girlfriend?” I ask, keeping my voice even as I cradle the huge bouquet of crimson roses Ikuya brought me.

Ritsu guided him to the waiting room, since I still had the press conference left.

“She’s not my girlfriend, you just misunderstood the situation,” he replies, wincing. “Just let me explain…”

“No, it’s fine, you don’t need to hide from me or anything,” I cut him off. 

“Asami.” Ikuya steps closer to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “All this shit between us needs to end, I can’t take it anymore.”

The door opens and a tall, muscular man walks in, holding a similar bouquet with the one Ikuya brought me. He’s keeping it in front of his face, so I can’t recognize him.

“Look who’s here to see you,” Ritsu says as he invites the guy in.

“Asami, long time no see,” he says, lowering the bouquet so I can see him.

My mouth drops and I stare at him in disbelief. “Zhang Wei!” I exclaim. “What are you doing here?”

He comes closer to us, making the height difference between him and Ikuya even more visible. “I was in the mood for some figure skating, after knocking out my opponent in the ring the other day,” he replies, laughing.

“Wei is a Muay Thai fighter,” I tell Ikuya, then turn to look at the Chinese guy. “This is Ikuya, individual medley swimmer,” I add, not knowing how else to present Ikuya.

Wei stares Ikuya down, smiling as he holds out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” The teal haired man shakes his hand, without breaking eye contact.

Ritsu can barely keep his laughter from exploding as he steps between them to grab my hand. “The press conference is about to start, rascal. Say your goodbyes, we need to go.”

I give Ikuya a one armed hug, then do the say with Wei. “Thank you for your flowers and your support,” I tell them as Ritsu drags me out after him.

The Chinese fighter chuckles and waves at me. “I’ll call you later, Qin.”

I try to catch Ikuya’s eyes as I leave the room, but he’s looking away, avoiding me.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Congratulations to the both of you,” our mom says again as the waiter brings us a whole cake. “Gold medals, this is amazing!”

Dad shakes his head. “Yeah, it’s a nice hobby.”

I choke on my green tea and Haru drops his head, sighing. Rin covers his mouth with the back of his hand, muffling his chuckles. I tried to call Ikuya and invite him, but I couldn’t get a hold of him. Same thing with Hiyori and neither Haru, nor Rin knew where those two are.

“Dear, I told you to be nice.”

“Well, I said it’s a nice hobby, right? I’m just waiting for them to start their real life, you know?”

“This is real life,” I retort. “I’m headed for the Olympic team this year.”

“What about college?” dad insists. “You promised to help me with my company if I agreed to let Haru go on with his art major nonsense.”

I snort. “It’s not my problem you believed me, dad.”

Haru places a glass forcefully on the table, drawing our attention. “I have an announcement to make.” He picks up Rin’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “This is my boyfriend.”

Rin blushes and looks like he’ll drop dead any minute. Both mom and dad stare at them, their mouth agape.

“That’s…that’s very nice, sweetie,” mom eventually says, picking up her glass of wine. “Rin…seems like a very nice young man.”

“I’m in love with him so I feel like standing on the table and shout it,” Haru adds, looking at dad.

The poor man picks up his glass of wine as well and gulps it down.

“Swimming and figure skating suit the both of you so well, Haruka, Asami. Take your time deciding what college you want, sweetie. And Haruka, I’d love to see some of your paintings and drawings when you feel like showing me.”

Haru holds out his fist and I bump it with mine.

~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve called Ikuya about twenty times until he finally picks up.

“Ikuya, finally. Why weren’t you answering?” I ask.

“Why are you even calling me?” he snaps and I almost drop the phone.

“Because our conversation from earlier isn’t over,” I reply, forcing my voice to sound calm. “You started something when Wei and Ritsu interrupted us.”

“Yes, Asami. I said I want this shit between us to end. I can’t be friends with someone like you.”

His words sting.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters next, letting out a deep sigh. “I don’t want to end it like this. I can’t keep competing will all your so called friends, okay? I don’t want to just be one of them, not when I had feelings for you.”

“Had?” I ask, my voice small.

There’s a pause so long I have to check my phone to see if the call is still on.

“Good luck in your events, Asami. I really hope you’ll make the Olympic team.”

He hungs up before I get the chance to reply. I try to call him back, but it doesn’t go through, meaning that he blocked me.

Tomorrow, I’m flying to Canada for my next event. I have two options, either miss my flight and go to Tokyo to settle things with Ikuya, or I just continue my dream and forget about this boy.

I wrap my arms around the hooded cobra plushie. I’ll decide in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the free skate I got my inspiration from:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxIOblXunn8&t=283s  
> I imagine Asami as an Asian Evgenia honestly. xD


	37. Rin's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M/M smut ahead!

It’s late at night when our train arrives back to Tokyo. I gently push some strands of hair away from Haru’s face, kissing his cheek as I whisper to him “Wake up, Haru. We have to get off.”

“There’s too many people around, wait until we go home,” he murmurs, still half asleep.

“Not like this,” I reply, my cheeks warming up as I look around, checking to see of anyone acts like they’ve heard him. “Get off the train, dumbass.”

I shake him a little and he opens one eye to glare at me. “What is it, Rin?”

“Wake up already, I can’t carry you home. Here, call an Uber,” I tell him, handing him my phone as I gather our bags.

The brunet yawns a few times as we make our way out of the train station. I’m loading our bags in the trunk when I notice Ikuya running inside the station. He doesn’t acknowledge us in any way, so he probably didn’t see us, but I elbow Haru in the side.

“Was that Ikuya?”

“I’m not even questioning it at this point,” he replies, stifling a yawn. “He and my sister need to solve the issue on their own.”

We get in the car and Haru drops his head on my shoulder. “Wake me up when we get home.”

I snort. “Don’t bother, we’ll be there in twenty minutes or less.”

“Twenty minutes is a lot. Now shush and let me sleep,” he mutters.

I look at him in disbelief as he falls asleep in an instant. However, Mr. Cat here is going to yell that he wants mackerel when we get home, then a bath probably, because he didn’t swim to his heart’s content.

I nudge him when we’re almost in front of our apartment building and he mutters something unintelligible, before opening his eyes. “I told you to wake me up when we’re home.”

I sigh, not even bothering to reply as I get out of the car and retrieve our bags from the trunk. Haru grabs my jacket, holding onto it as we make our way inside. He wraps his arms around me, hugging me from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder when we’re in the elevator.

“I like you when you’re sleepy. You’re so sweet,” I comment, chuckling. “Now let go, someone might see us.”

“I don’t care,” he murmurs, pressing his lips to the side of my neck.

‘Well, I do. I thought I’d die during dinner with your parents, my heart can’t take it anymore.”

He chuckles and begins searching his pockets for the key, when we get out of the elevator. “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable, that’s the way me and Asami manipulate our dad to leave us alone. I meant it, though.”

“What?” I ask, pretending I don’t know what he’s talking about, just to get him to say it again.

“That I love you,” he replies, as we enter his apartment. No, our apartment. It’s our apartment now.

“I love you, too,” I say, kissing his forehead as I pass him, on my way to the living room.

I drop the bags near the sofa, then sit on it myself, stretching my legs.

“I’m hungry,” Haru informs me.

“Of course, after such a good sleep,” I tease. “I’ll go prepare the bath while you have a quick snack.”

He looks at me, surprised. “How did you know I wanted to take a bath next?”

“I haven’t just met you, Haru. You have two basic needs, mackerel and water,” I retort, as I make my way to the bathroom.

“I actually have three,” he yells after me.

“What’s the third one?” I yell back, as I start preparing the bath.

“Sex with you,” he answers.

I pass a hand over my face, gripping the edge of the bathtub with my other one. My blood starts boiling and I go back to him, undressing on the way.

“Food later,” I tell him, grabbing him by the wrist as I start dragging him into the bathroom.

I don’t give him time to take his clothes off as I slam my lips onto his in a scorching hot kiss. I grip his hair, tangling my fingers in the silky strands as I pull on it, deepening the kiss. Haru moans in my mouth and that turns me on even harder.

I break the kiss, only to pull his bottom lip between my teeth and press on it lightly. I work quickly, unbuttoning his shirt with eager, trembling hands, before I move to his pants and unzip them. Haru helps me out of my pants, too, before we both get in the bathtub. I wrap my fingers around his throbbing erection, my lips claiming his again. His body tenses, his nails sinking into my shoulders.

“I have an idea,” I murmur, before licking his bottom lip. 

“What are you…” Haru’s voice breaks into a moan as I push my head under water, my mouth closing around the tip of his dick. 

I close my eyes, teasing the tip with my tongue as I hold my breath. I can’t last too long, so I have to resurface for air eventually, but I’m determined to make him come like this. 

I go under water again, this time wrapping one hand around his base as I take all of him into my mouth. His hips buckle involuntarily, so I grab his hips, forcing him down and keeping him still.

Haru lets out a loud moan as he comes, then he tilts his head back, resting it on the edge of the bathtub. I emerge from under the water, wiping at my lips with a grin as I look at him.

“I think this huge bathtub is the best part of your apartment,” I comment as I kiss my way up to his chest.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” he asks as he grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me up for a kiss.

“I’m just practicing for the breathless 50 m free,” I reply, smiling against his lips. 

I grab him by the waist and pull him on my lap, then press soft kisses along the soft column of his throat. Haru tilts his head to the side, letting out a soft sigh when I lick his skin.

“You don’t have to be somewhere tomorrow, right?” I confirm, sinking my teeth into his skin after he nods, letting one of my hands travel down his back at the same time.

Haru whimpers and it turns into a loud moan when I tease him with one finger, before slipping it inside of him. He tenses when I move my mouth to his collarbones and bite again, harder this time.

“Rin,” he murmurs, wrapping both arms around my shoulders and holding onto me.

“Get up,” I tell him. “I have an idea.”

I bend over the edge of the bathtub, reaching for a small bottle hidden in one of the pockets of my pants.

“I got a little souvenir from the airport,” I say, chuckling.

Haru looks at me, raising an eyebrow.

“Silicone based lube,” I explain, as I thoroughly coat my fingers. “Turn around and put your palms on the wall,” I instruct him, then get up as well.

I press him into the wall, kissing his shoulder before I push two fingers inside him. I wrap an arm around his waist, ready to support him if his knees give out.

Haru cries out when I curl my fingers and arches his back. “Rin, please.”

I put some more lube on my dick, then kiss his shoulder again as I align myself with him. I push slowly inside of him, then grab both of his wrists, keeping them pressed against the wall with one hand. I tighten my arm around him as I start to thrust into him, my teeth sinking into his shoulder until I’m satisfied with the mark I’ve left. Haru whimpers when I pick up the pace, throwing his head back with a yell after a particular hard thrust.

“Are you okay?” I whisper into his ear as I pull his earlobe between my teeth.

He nods, turning his head to look at me, so I plant a firm kiss on his lips.

“Get on your knees and hold onto the edge of bathtub,” I tell him, as I slide out of him.

I love it when he’s so obedient and he does what I ask him almost instantly. 

I grip his hips, sheathing myself completely in one swift motion, then I start to push into him in long, hard thrusts. The feeling of the water around us is amazing as I slide in an out of him.

I bend my body, pressing my chest against his back. The new angle is maddening, Haru is crying out my name as he meets my every thrust and I’m losing my head. I barely remember to reach for his erection and rub my fingers on his length, a series of moans escaping my mouth when the brunet’s body tenses.

I barely register that Haru reached his climax, his body melting in my arms when I bury my face in the crook of his neck, biting down hard as I find my release.

“Are you alright?” I ask him, panting as I turn him around and search his face for any sign of discomfort.

Haru swings an arm over my neck, bringing me down for a sloppy kiss. “I don’t think I can get out of this bathtub by myself.”

I chuckle, kissing him again, then I rest my forehead on his. “Just relax, love, I’ll take care of you.”

“Can you cook me something, too?”

“Haru, it’s like 3 in the fucking morning…”

I take one look at his ocean eyes, then sigh.

“Fine.”


	38. Ikuya's POV

I shouldn’t have said what I said. I run both hands through my hair, gripping it in frustration. Like the idiot that I am, I threw my phone across the room so hard, that it hit the wall and now it’s useless.

Hiyori takes one look at me and sighs, then hands me his phone. “Break it and I’ll end,” he tells me, matter of factly.

My hand is shaking as my thumb hovers over the caller ID. It takes me almost an hour of fidgeting and thinking what I should tell her, until I mutter “Screw it,” and just press it.

Asami picks up after a few seconds. “Yes, Hiyori,” she says, her voice tired.

I take a deep breath. “It’s me. Asami, I’m so sorry for what I said earlier…no, this doesn’t mean anything. I’m coming back to Kyoto so we can talk properly.”

She pauses and I hold my breath. “Fine,” she replies, on her even tone. “I’ll text you my address.”

“Send it to Hiyori’s phone, mine is…currently unavailable.”

“Okay,” she says, then hangs up.

A minute later, I get a text with the address of her apartment in Kyoto, so I just throw a jacket over my shoulders and storm out the campus room, calling for an Uber at the same time.

I’m lucky I find a train ticket online and book it, then take a deep breath and try to relax. All I have to do left is wait patiently to arrive to Kyoto.

~~~~~~~~~~

I get off the train and almost trip over my own feet as I notice Asami standing on the platform. She instinctively reaches her hands to balance me, but I take the advantage of the moment and pull her into my arms. 

Asami tenses for a second and begins to pull away, but I tighten my arms around her until she relaxes in my embrace.

“Asami, I’m so sorry for what I said,” I mutter, resting my chin on the top of her head.

“Then why did you say it in the first place?” she retorts angrily, placing her palms on my chest and trying to push me away.

However, it takes her only a few seconds to regain her composure as she forces herself to stay still, her voice calm and even as she asks me “Why did you come here, Ikuya?”

“Don’t hide your emotions from me,” I tell her, grabbing her shoulders. “Please, Asami. Be real with me.”

She shakes her head. “This is the real me, Ikuya. Let’s go, we’re bothering other people.”

We walk side by side out of the train station in silence. Now that I apologized to her, I have no idea what I’m supposed to say next.

“Why did you leave like that?” she finally asks me, her voice quiet. “Did Wei say something to you?”

“Did you guys used to date or something?” I retort, feeling my anger return.

“Yes,” she replies without hesitation. “Or something,” she adds. 

My blood boils, but I try to push my jealousy back. “Do you want to date him again?”

She slowly shakes her head, then raises her eyes to me. “Ikuya, I don’t date. Anyone, no matter what happens.” She reaches for my hand and I let her intertwine her fingers with mine. “I’m not good for you, trust me on this.”

I blink, confused. “Why?”

“All I can offer you is something,” Asami says, ignoring my question.

“I’m in love with you,” I admit. “I don’t know if that will ever be enough for me. I want all of you, Asami.”

“Things used to be so simple,” she says, sighing. “No one has ever fought like you, Ikuya.”

“How does that make you feel?” I inquire, because we’re finally going somewhere.

She pauses as she looks ahead. “I don’t know, it’s weird somehow. I feel like you’re giving me an ultimatum, like I’m not enough the way I am.”

“What you give me is not enough,” I reply. “You show me this calm and collected side of yours, like you don’t even care. It’s like you’re a different person from the one you were when we started hanging out. Which one is the real you?”

“Did you come here to emphasize my flaws?” she asks back. 

“I’m here to understand.”

Asami squeezes my hand with hers. “Fine, I’ll tell you a little story that will help you understand the kind of person that I am. Also, please spend the night at my apartment, we’ll let you off at the train station after breakfast, when we leave for the airport. I’m not okay with you travelling all night.”

I nod, then we walk in silence the rest of the way to the apartment Ritsu rented for them.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Here,” she says, offering me a cup of green tea. “Ritsu is sleeping, so we’ll be quiet, okay?”

I nod as I accept the cup. Asami sits cross legged in the middle of the bed and pats the mattress next to her, motioning for me to join her.

“How long have you been watching me skate?” she asks, wrapping both hands around the cup of tea.

“Ever since you started skating as a senior,” I reply.

She nods slowly, then sips from her cup. “I was sixteen when I first participated in the events as a senior. There was another girl, one year older than me, that proclaimed herself my rival. The first event we skated together, I took gold, pushing her down to the second place. Then, the next one, she took silver again and had to watch me flaunt my gold medal. She was angry and bitter towards me and she tried to bully me when we practiced together, but that never worked on me.”

Asami pauses, then drinks some more tea. “Before the Grand Prix Final that year, I told her that she will never be able to beat me and that included all aspects. I was prettier, more popular and a better figure skater. I told her I would never acknowledge such a failure of a person as my rival.”

She shakes her head. “She promised me that people will talk more about her than me, even if I managed to take gold at the Grand Prix Final. Do you know what she did? She slit her wrists in my waiting room and bled all over my costume. She was dead when I found her.”

“What the fuck!” I exclaim, shocked.

She nods, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “Yeah, she had been struggling with depression for a long time, but I didn’t know at that time.”

I take her hand, brushing my thumb over he knuckles. “What did you do when you found her?”

“I always had spare costumes, so I just picked another costume, did my make up and left. I spend the time with another figure skater, a shy Russian girl who was competing as a senior for the first time, too. I helped her with her hair and pretended I just wanted to become friends with her and stuff like that, but in reality I was just hiding there. When Ritsu found me, he was pale, but he kept his composure pretty well. He told me not to go into my waiting room, because a pipe had burst or something, you know, a cheap excuse.”

My eyes widen and I’m speechless as I look at her, waiting for her to finish her story.

“I pretended to believe him, then I skated and won my first gold medal as a senior figure skater,” Asami says, looking at me. “Ritsu was shocked when I confessed, later, that I had always known about the dead girl in my waiting room. He was shocked that I was able to skate without falling once, despite what had happened. Haru knows, too, he always told me that it wasn’t my fault. And now you know as well. Now you see, Ikuya, why I said I’m not good for you.”

I blink, confused. “What’s the connection between these two things?”

She shakes her head, then takes the cup from my hands and places both mine and hers on the nightstand, before wrapping her arms around me. “You’re the warmest and kindest person I’ve ever met. You and I are not a good match. I’m a horrible person, Ikuya.”

Asami places her hands on both sides of my face, pulling away a little so she can look at me. “I want to be the best figure skater in the world, no matter what.”

“I understand,” I say after a while, circling her waist with my arms. “You will never be able to love me more.”

She says nothing, her gaze dropping to my lips. I can’t resist her, I’m madly attracted to her and I love her, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to love someone more than her. I pull her closer, pressing my lips to hers. Asami kisses me back, deepening the kiss and I push her on the bed, making space for my body between her legs. I lick at her mouth as I slip a hand underneath her T shirt and she whimpers when I grab her breast, squeezing it lightly.

There’s a tiny voice inside my head, telling me that this is wrong, but I want her. For this last time, I want to feel her. 

I remove her T shirt and lower my head, my mouth closing around one of her nipples. Asami brushes both hands through my hair, gripping it as my teeth graze the tight bud. She runs her hands down my back, gripping my shirt and pulling on it. She helps me take it off, then throws it on the floor. Her leggings and my pants follow it shortly after, her mouth finding mine again as I guide myself inside of her. She bites on my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as I push into her, sheathing myself in one swift motion.

Asami sinks her teeth into my shoulder, muffling her moans as I push into her. She hooks her legs behind me, arching her back off the mattress as she meets my every thrust.

I bury my face in the crook of her neck, biting down hard enough to bruise as I pick up the pace. Her moans and gasps are quiet as she tightens around me, her whole body tensing as she comes, then I let out a groan into her skin when I find my release.

Asami grabs my shoulder, motioning for me to turn around. She pushes me on my back, then straddles me.

“More,” she whispers and my hands grip her hips, fingers sinking into her soft skin.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s noon when I enter the room I share with Hiyori. He’s sitting on the sofa, watching something on his laptop, but he immediately pushes it away and gets up, approaching me. I notice the bag on the floor, next to sofa and remember that Hana invited him over to her house.

I realize I’m crying when Hiyori pulls me into his arms, embracing me. 

“Give me back my phone, I’ll text Hana and tell her I’m not coming,” he says, but I shake my head.

“No, Hiyori, it’s okay. I need time alone to process things anyways, go and have fun.” I hand him his phone as I take a step back. “Thank you for this. I’ll go buy a new one today.”

“Ikuya…”

“It’s over this time, for good,” I say, interrupting him. “We talked about it and it’s for the best. I’ll be fine after I get some sleep.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone,” Hiyori protests.

I place my hands on his shoulders. “And I’m telling you that this is what I need.”

My best friend hesitates, then eventually relents. “Promise me you won’t go swimming by yourself, Ikuya.”

I nod, but he grabs me forearms and shakes me. “Promise me!”

“I promise.”


	39. Sousuke's POV

Sayuri kisses my cheek as she hands me a bottle of prosecco. “Can you take this in the living room, please? Asami will arive any minute now and she always starts with the cocktails.”

I sigh. “Can I help you with anything else?”

“Be a pretty boyfriend…oh wait, you’re doing that already,” she replies, laughing when she sees my expression. “I know you hate the shoulder orthosis, but dad said you’ll be able to take it off in a week and start the physiotherapy.”

“I don’t hate the thing, I hate that you don’t let me help you with anything,” I point out. 

“I gave you a task of the utmost importance, Sousuke. We need prosecco to celebrate the success of your surgery and Asami’s two gold medals.”

Asami and Ritsu are arriving today from Canada, because she has a one week break until the charity event. She won gold at Skate Canada, but acted so indifferent towards her new medal that she intimmidated all the reporters that tried to interview her. Sayuri can’t wait to corner her when she gets here, because Asami didn’t tell her anything on their Skype calls.

Ryujiro has gone to the airport to pick them up, which means that Sayuri and I have to set the table. Correction, Sayuri is setting the table, because I’m not allowed to put pressure on my shoulder and in my girlfriend’s view, that means she must treat me as an invalid.

I wrap my left arm around her waist, pulling her closer and nuzzling the side of her neck. Sayuri chuckles, tilting her head to the side and letting out a soft sigh as I kiss her neck.

I lean with my back into the cabinet behind me, then turn her around and lower my head, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. I smile against her lips when she slips one of her hands under my shirt. I let my hand travel down her body until I grip one of her buttocks, squeezing it as I deepen the kiss.

“Well, at lease you’re not fucking on the dinner table.”

We both flinch at the voice of the intruder and Sayuri takes a step back. She squeals when she sees Asami, opening her arms. “Hey, bitch!”

The brunette runs into Sayuri’s arm, and the two girls spin around as they hug. “I missed you, my favorite slut!” Asami exclaims, pressing a few kisses to Sayuri’s cheek.

When they finally part, Asami turns to me and gives me a careful, one armed hug. “I’m so happy for you, Sousuke.”

I circle her waist with my left arm. “You’ve lost weight.”

Ritsu scoffs from behind us. “She’s not eating properly, that’s why. She fainted during practice.”

Sayuri hugs her uncle briefly, then turns to her best friend. “Asami, what happened?”

She shrugs. “Nothing happened, I’m fine.”

We all groan in unison and Asami winces. 

“I’m getting grilled later, right?” she mutters.

I swing my arm over her shoulders. “You bet.”

~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Ritsu and Ryujiro retreat to the latter’s office, which leaves the three of us alone in the living room. Asami makes another round of Hugo cocktails for us, then drops unceremoniously on the sofa.

“Okay, out with it,” Sayuri begins, sipping from her glass. “Also, keep in mind that if you say you’re fine, I have the right to tickle you until you pee on the floor, you skinny bitch.”

I throw my head back, laughing and Asami shakes her head.

“There’s nothing much going on with me, honestly.”

My girlfriend raises her arms and starts wiggling her fingers. Asami’s face turns pale and she takes a long drink from her glass, to buy herself some time.

“You know you can talk to us about anything, right?” the chestnut haired girl says. “Sousuke doesn’t judge people anymore.”

“I’ve never judged people before,” I mutter, looking away when the two girl turn to stare at me.

“It’s just that, I’m not even halfway through the season, but I feel exhausted. During Skate Canada, while I was in the rink, I couldn’t wait for my performance to be over, so I can go sit down somewhere. Ritsu told me he had never a short program with such a lack of emotions in it. To compensate, I raised the difficulty of my jumps in the free skate and still managed to get gold, but when they handed me my medal, I kept staring at it, waiting for something to happen inside of me. 

It didn’t, I just looked at it and thought, oh well, another piece of useless metal to add to my collection,” the brunette skater explains, then looks away, sighing.

I stare at Asami, dumbfounded and Sayuri’s mouth drops.

“What did Ritsu say about all this?” I carefully ask.

“That I’m not allowed to pull a Victor on him until I’m twenty seven,” she replies, chuckling.

Sayuri had told me everything she knew about Asami’s skater friends, so I know about Victor, who didn’t skate last year and trained Yuri instead.

“What caused this, though?” Sayuri insists. “You’ve always been so motivated when it came to winning.”

Asami shrugs, but it’s clear she’s hiding something. However, she doesn’t seem willing to talk more, because she turns to me and says “Enough about me. Sousuke, tell me about your surgery.”

I know Sayuri has told her about the surgery, but still, I comply. No use forcing her to talk when she doesn’t want to.

“It’s been successful, so I try not to think about the pain and the bloody orthosis. Also, Sayuri is treating me like an invalid, which pisses me off.”

The chestnut haired girl pokes me in the side. “After the effort I’ve put in convincing you, there’s no way I’m putting your shoulder at risk.”

“You basically took me by force to see your dad,” I deadpan and Asami chuckles.

“Oh, don’t remind me about you and my dad,” Sayuri groans, rolling her eyes. “They’re like soulmates or some shit,” she says, turning to look at her best friend. “You should see them in the supermarket.”

Sayuri clears her voice, ready to impersonate me and her dad.

“Sousuke – kun, I was thinking of cooking fish tomorrow.”

“Oh no, Ryujiro – san, you must be tired from work, let me and Sayuri handle dinner. How do you feel about salmon?”

“You read my mind, Sousuke! I was just thinking about it.”

Sayuri sticks her tongue out, making a gagging noise. I wrap my left arm around her, pulling her closer so I can bite her jawline in retribution. She yells, jerking her head away, but I still managed to get her.

Asami laughs, wiping a tear away. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”

“Ask Sayuri about her new coach,” I say. “She’s obsessed with him.”

“Oh?” The brunette perks up, her eyes curious. 

“He’s so young and hot and muscular,” the chestnut haired girl replies, sighing. 

She looks at me from the corner of her eye and I frown.

“He’s old and ugly,” she immediately says, making Asami laugh again. “So hot,” she mouths almost inaudibly, yelling when I bite her jawline again.

“Why is my devil daughter screaming so much, the exorcism is finally happening?” Ryujiro asks us as he and his brother return in the living room.

“Oh, for me, you shouldn’t have,” Ritsu comments, snatching the glass of Hugo from Asami’s hand. “You didn’t eat enough to be drinking alcohol.”

“But I did!” she protests, reaching her hand up and trying to get her cocktail back.

“What’s up with that, anyways?” I inquire.

“An idea got into her head, that she’s not thin enough,” the brunet answers, sighing. “As if that’s the problem for not landing the quad Axel.”

Asami waves her arms. “Enough talking about me! I said I’m fine.”

She turns pale, her head slowly turning in the direction of Sayuri. A grin creeps on my girlfriend’s lips as she begins getting up.

“What did I say about that word, my dear best friend?”

“Oh, fuck,” the brunet mutters.

The two girls spring to their feet almost instantly and Sayuri starts chasing Asami around, wiggling her fingers. Ryujiro looks at them, calmly sipping from his glass of green tea.

“Someone call the exorcist.”


	40. Hiyori's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Hiyori!   
> I hope you enjoy my cute little chapter ^_^

I wake up with a smooth tongue touching the left side of my face. I smile involuntarily when I feel a soft tiny paw pressing on my cheek and I raise my hand to pet the ball of fur without opening my eyes.

Sushi cuddles closer into the crook of my neck and immediately starts purring, her small body sending healing vibrations into my throat.

I pat the other side of the bed, blindly searching for Hanabi. I open one eye, pressing my lips together when I notice that it’s almost 11 am and she’s already left the bed. I get up in a sitting position, wincing when Sushi pushes her claws into my skin, as a protest for moving.

“I’m sorry,” I apolgise, petting her soft fur. 

I find a small note on the nightstand to the side of my bed, sighing when I read it.

I had leave early for work today. See you later! H.

If I remember correctly, the library where Hana works was supposed to be closed today, but either I heard wrong or she got called in last minute. 

No use dwelling on it.

“Come on, Sushi,” I murmur to the cat, taking it in my arms. “Let’s get you fed.”

Ever since the competition in Kyoto, I’ve spent more time at Hana’s house than at the dorms, with Ikuya. I felt guilty for leaving him alone, but every time I tried to refuse my girlfriend’s invitation, he would practically force me to go, because he said he liked having the room to himself.

We’re leaving for Barcelona tomorrow, me, Ikuya, Haru, Rin and Asahi, for a freestyle training camp. Rin and Asahi are leaving after two weeks for a butterfly training camp in Rome, whereas I’m going after three weeks of freestyle training in Seoul, for a backstroke training camp. I’m already dreading it, because Ji – Hoon will also be there.

My phone vibrates and I check it, smiling when I read the message from my parents, wishing me a Happy Birthday. There is no text message from anyone else, though. I try not to think too much about it, because it’s not that big of a deal to me. It’s a day like any other.

I text Ikuya, suggesting we go swimming together, but he replies that he’s busy today. 

“What the fuck,” I mutter to myself as I read his reply. “Busy with what?”

I shake my head, then finally make my way to the kitchen so I can feed Sushi. She’s an unusually good kitten, no jumping around of meowing incessantly when she sees me placing cat food in her bowl, she just waits patiently until I’m done.

I put her down so she can eat, then crouch next to her, sighing.

It’s going to be a long day. Might as well continue watching Elite, a Spanish thriller teen drama series that I started especially so I can get used to the language. Sushi joins me on the sofa soon after she finishes eating, curling on my abdomen and demanding pets.

I’m on my fourth episode of the TV series when my phone vibrates on the sofa next to me. I raise an eyebrow as I read the text from Ikuya.

Come to our dorm room, I need your help with something.

I sigh as I reluctantly get up, then go to the bedroom to change from my pajama pants. I pet Sushi’s head one more time before I leave the house, then read the text again. If something happened to my best friend, he wouldn’t have texted me so casually, he would’ve called, so I shouldn’t be worrying about him. 

However, I find myself biting the nail on my thumb as I’m sitting in the backseat of the Uber car, impatiently waiting to get there. I text Ikuya, asking him if everything’s okay, but he doesn’t reply.

I run to our dorm room, opening the door and calling his name immediately. “Ikuya, I’m here!”

Nothing. Silence. Ikuya doesn’t seem to be here. However, there’s something in the middle of my bed. A small dark blue box. I pick it up, gasping when I open it, because it contains the black, elegant smartwatch that me an Ikuya saw when we last went shopping together. I chuckle when I find a note in Ikuya’s handwriting.

Wear me. Happy Birthday! I.

I put the smartwatch on my left wrist, then notice a second note, this time in Hana’s handwriting.

Come find me in the library. H.

I call an Uber again, this time impatient because of the elaborate surprises my friends have prepared for me. When I get there, I find the library closed – so I did remember correctly that it was closed today. However, according to her message, I have to find her in the library, so I try the door. It’s locked.

I try opening it again, then stare at it dumb founded. And then it dawns on me. I think I’m supposed to find her in the library where I first discovered her name.

I pass a hand over my face, then start running towards the University, since it’s not that far away and I don’t need an Uber this time. 

I’m panting as I get there and start looking around for Hanabi. Of course, she’s nowhere to be seen, but I get a sudden inspiration to check the book which helped me discover her name – I’ve told her once the full story of how I found out her name, so it’s a sensible decision to look there.

“Perfect,” I mutter to myself, grinning when I open the book and an envelope falls from among its pages.

I pick it up and open it, smiling when I recognize Hana’s writing again. 

Go and tell the librarian your name. H.

Without wasting a second, I run to the librarian’s small office. The old woman smiles when she sees me.

“Hiyori – kun, I presume,” she says and I nod. “Here.”

She gives me an envelope first, then a box set of my favorite manga series, the first edition that are almost impossible to find. I almost scream when I see it, but still, I manage to thank her politely. I take the box set and open the envelope as I make my way out of the library and start reading the note I found inside.

Happy birthday, my love! You’ve made my days shine brighter ever since you walked – or swam your way – into my life. I hope you like my present. Find me next, meow!

I laugh, putting the small note back into the envelope – I notice now that there’s a small cat paw print on the backside. I take out my phone, calling an Uber again. It’s easier now, because I know exactly where I’m supposed to go.

The car leaves me right in front of Hanabi’s house and I take a deep breath as I stand at the door. Somehow, I’m sad the little game is over, but at the same time, I’m curious to see what’s next. I finally open the door, wincing slightly when my friends yell “Surprise! Happy birthday, Hiyori!”

I gently place the box set down, in time to catch Hanabi, who jumps into my arms. “Happy birthday, Hiyori! I love you,” she murmurs into my ear and I tighten my arms around her.

I put her down, smiling happily as I look at all my friends, gathered in her house. Haru smiles and nods at me, then returns to playing with Sushi’s paws, who doesn’t seem to mind the treatment, Natsuya gives me a one armed hug, Rin and Asahi wish me a Happy birthday.

The last one is Ikuya, who wraps his arms tightly around me.

“Thank you for your present,” I tell him.

“I didn’t want to risk, so I ended up buying something that I was one hundred percent sure you’d love,” he replies, chuckling.

“The food is here,” Natsuya says, with a grin on his face. “Don’t smother him, little brother.”

Hanabi jumps onto my back, wrapping her arms around my neck suddenly. I manage to catch her legs, my fingers pressing lightly on the skin of her calves. She extends her arm, taking a few selfies of us laughing as I try my best not to let her fall. 

She takes a few more pictures of us stuffing ourselves with pizza – and Haru in the background, playing with Sushi and feeding her pieces of his mackerel.

Ikuya clinks his glass to mine, smiling. “Hanabi wanted to let you suffer until midnight, but I told her you’d strangle yourself until then.”

I throw my head back, laughing. “I didn’t know my girlfriend is so evil.”

Ikuya opens his mouth to say something, when my phone starts vibrating. I take it out of my pocket and see his smile falter.

I clear my voice, answering. “Hey, Asami.”

‘Happy birthday, Hiyori,” she says. “How have you been?”

“Thank you. Oh, I’m fine, we all are,” I reply, cautiously. “Training, nothing much. You?”

“Getting ready for the charity event in Toronto,” Asami tells me. 

There’s an uncomfortable pause, neither of us knowing what to say next.

“Is he alright?” she eventually asks, her voice small. “Anyways, good luck with your training,” she says, without giving me time to answer. “Bye, Hiyori. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” I mutter, before she hangs up. 

I turn my head to Ikuya, who pretends to not have noticed anything.

“Let’s cut the cake,” he says, his voice a bit hoarse, but he forces himself to smile.

“Yay, cake!” Hanabi yells, throwing her arms up.

I squeeze his shoulder once, then get up and join Hanabi in the kitchen. Ikuya hates showing that he still suffers because of her and has resorted to hiding it. I know it’s not okay, but as his best friend, all I can do is support him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for posting so late, I had to move from my home town to another city, because of my PhD studies. Anyways, in my country, it's still the 20th of January, so it's still Hiyori's birthday. ^_^


	41. Sayuri's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is my birthday! I almost shared it with Hiyori xD   
> As a present to myself, I decided to write a relaxed chapter from Sayuri's POV. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

I dream of butterflies landing gently on my shoulder blades, one by one. They’re soft and they tickle, so I chuckle and move a little, trying to get them to stop.

A strong arm wraps around me and velvet lips press to the nape of my neck. I let out a content sigh as I’m starting to wake up, then cuddle closer to Sousuke.

“Happy birthday,” he murmurs into my ear, kissing my neck.

“Where are the butterflies?” I ask, still half asleep.

“What butterflies?”

“The ones that landed on my back and tickled me,” I reply, matter of factly. I even get up in a sitting position, looking around confused.

Sousuke starts laughing, then grabs me by my shoulder and pulls me back down. “Babe, are you still dreaming?”

I rub at my eyes, chuckling. “I’m awake now. I think.”

The door bursts open and I yelp, then Asami walks in. She jumps on the bed between us, wrapping her arms tightly around me and screaming “Happy birthday, my best friend!”

“Asami, we could’ve been naked,” Sousuke protests, but he’s laughing.

“So? Nothing new for me,” she retorts, sticking her tongue out at him. 

I embrace her, holding her so tight I know she can’t breathe for a few second. “Thank you, bitch!”

“I tried to wake up early so I can be the first person to tell you Happy birthday,” she complains, poking Sousuke in the ribs. “According to my calculations, you weren’t supposed to be awake.”

He shrugs, grinning. “Unfortunately for you, I did my math, too.”

“So, what do you guys want to do today?” I ask, still keeping Asami in my arms. “Dad is baking me a cake tonight, he told me to be home by 7 pm. That means me have…”

I reach to the nightstand to pick up my phone, but Sousuke is faster to take his.

“We have almost eleven hours to ourselves,” he says, whistling.

I clap my hands, suddenly excited. “We can go swimming, if Sousuke promises only to float around, then lunch, then hit the ice rink a little.”

“Then we’ll go shopping for cute outfits,” Asami suggests. “So we can take some bomb pictures tonight.”

I brush both hands through my hair. “I don’t know, whatever you guys want to do, let’s do it! I’ll rip my hair out until tonight, when I’ll finally be allowed to open my presents.”

Sousuke chuckles. “Your dad’s idea of first eating cake, then opening presents is actually cute, you know. It elegantly hides the fact that you just want us there for our presents.”

I pinch his cheek and he swats my hand away.

“I’ll say I hate your present just to spite you,” I threaten.

“Mhm hmm, sure, babe,” he replies, moving to the edge of the bed. “I’ll go take a shower so you can gossip about me tight ass,” he says, slapping his butt as he walks away.

“He is so weird,” Asami comments, laughing. 

I pass a hand over my face. “People think he’s so stoic and serious.”

My best friend snorts and rolls her eyes.

“Let’s dress the same when we go out today,” I suggest. “We looked good together during your party at Victor and Yuri’s apartment.”

Asami chuckles. “Oh, hell yeah.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Asami and Ritsu chuckle and elbow each other, so I pat my dad’s back eventually. “Dad, I love you, but it’s been ten minutes.”

My dad sniffles and tightens his arms. “I refuse to let you grow up. You’re still my cute little devil girl,” he says, sobbing.

I sigh and Ritsu bursts out laughing. “She was never cute!”

“Thanks, uncle Ritsu, I really appreciate it,” I reply sarcastically.

Finally, Sousuke comes into the living room, dressed in jeans and a black T shirt that fits his muscular body in a way that makes me want to cancel going out for the whole fucking day.

Ritsu sighs. “I wish I was your age so I could go out with you guys,” he mutters and Asami rolls her eyes.

“See you later, old man,” she teases.

“I’ll make you regret this when you train tomorrow,” he immediately retort, smiling in a creepy way.

Sousuke throws a jacket over his shoulders. “Nice outfit, girls.”

“Oh, look, he approves,” Asami says, snorting.

We’re both wearing black pants and white pullovers, so that we won’t need jackets, because we both kind of hate wearing multiple layers of clothing. If I could, I’d walk around in my swim suit all day.

Or naked.

“So, where to first?” Sousuke asks, pulling out his phone. “I’ll call an Uber for us.”

“Swimming pool,” I reply as I pick up my gym bag.

Asami throws her bag over her shoulder as well. She has her skates with her, not only swim suit, because she claims she can’t slide the way she wants using rentals. Considering the amount of talent me and Sousuke have for ice skating – he doesn’t fall, but he can’t turn around without help, whereas I fall more often that I’d like to admit out load – rentals are okay for us.

~~~~~~~~~~

I dive in the swimming pool, instant relief flooding my body as I feel the cool water envelope me. I always find comfort in swimming, it doesn’t matter if I’m happy and want to celebrate something, or I’ve had a bad experience and I want to cool off.

Haru is like that, too, that’s why we became close so many years ago. None of my classmates, besides him, understood what it’s like when I’m swimming. 

I would’ve fallen in love with him if our hearts weren’t promised to other people. I’m sure of it.

Sousuke and Asami descend in the pool the normal way, using the steps and I can’t help but feel my heart breaks a little for my boyfriend. I know he would love to dive and race with me, but he needs to be careful. I’m sure he hates having to be careful all the time.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Sousuke asks as he moves closer to me.

I wrap my hands around him tight and bury my face in the crook of his neck. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he tells me, his voice betraying his confusion.

However, he understands when I pull away and he sees my face. He kisses my temple, smiling gently at me and says “We’ll be able to swim together, soon, at full speed.”

I nod, smiling back, then look over his shoulder and notice Asami help a little boy come into the pool. He’s got tears in his vermilion eyes and sniffles a little, but his mouth is open as he looks at my hot best friend.

“There, it’s not that scary once you’re in the water,” she tells him, gently petting his head. “I had a friend once, he’s an amazing swimmer. Your eyes look a lot like his.”

“What happened to him?” the boy asks, all innocence and curiosity.

Asami shrugs and for a second, the perfect way in which she presents herself cracks. However, she puts her mask back on with a shake of her head and plasters a fake smile on her face.

“We’re both too busy with our schedules and don’t get to see each other anymore.”

“That’s too bad,” he says. “I lost my best friend, too. He had to leave to another state.”

The brunette reaches for his head, but then changes her mind and pulls him into her arms instead.

“Poor Asami,” I comment, shaking my head. “I wonder when she’ll realize that she’s hurting herself more this way.”

Sousuke kisses the top of my head. “She has to understand it herself, otherwise it doesn’t mean anything.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Sayuri, want to do a spin with me?” Asami asks as she slides around me effortlessly, while I’m doing my best to stand upright. 

“Sure, what the hell,” I say. “If I have a missing tooth and a black eye, we can say I’m a muay thai fighter.”

She laughs, then stops right in front of me. “Give me your hands.”

Asami expertly catches onto my forearms, then pulls me after her to an empty corner of the rink, instructing me on the position of my legs so that I don’t fall. I’m grinning ear to ear when she starts spinning in place, practically dragging me on the ice around her. All I have to do is keep my body tense so I don’t trip on my own feet and it’s so liberating to feel the wind in my face.

The brunette lets go of one of my arms and pulls me towards her, then suddenly she catches me by the waist and lifts me up in the air for a few second, spinning in place with me in her arms.

“Holly fuck!” I yell, making other people turn to look at us.

Asami pulls me down, laughing as she catches her breath. “You’re one heavy cow, Sayuri,” she jokes.

“You arms are too skinny, they can’t handle my muscles,” I retort, flexing my arms and making her laugh.

Sousuke slides towards us slowly, shaking his phone. “I recorded you, girls.”

I raise my arms, with the intention to hug him, but he raises one hand to stop me. “I love you, but please don’t do it. I’m barely standing.”

“I’ll let you two love birds to skate together, I’ll go jump a few times and scare some people,” Asami announces, then slides away before we can say anything.

Sousuke reaches for my hand and I take it, moving closer to him as he raises his phone to take a selfie. Then, we do our best to glide slowly around, holding hands while avoiding other people.

A scream draws our attention in time to see Asami perform a triple Salchow in the middle of the rink. Immediately, two guys skate closer to her and begin making small talk, but it doesn’t take long until she sends them back where they came from and joins us again.

“I say we hit the shops,” Sousuke suggests after he almost falls. “It’s a miracle we didn’t crack our heads open on the ice until now, but let’s not tempt fate.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Sousuke chooses for us similar dresses, but he decides on black for Asami and white for me. 

My best friend elbows me in the side as we stand in front of the huge mirror in the dressing room. “He thinks you’re an angel, bitch.”

I snort. “Or he just thought my tits would look amazing in this dress.”

Asami looks directly at my chest. “Well, they do.” Then, she looks at her own cleavage. “I miss my tits.”

I roll my eyes. “So you finally admit you should stop trying to lose weight, because you’re already too skinny?”

“I tried, but I don’t know if it helped with my quad Axel,” she replies. “I think I’ll stop with all of this.”

“Why is the quad Axel so important to you, Asami?” I ask, turning to her. “You can make the Olympic team without it, you know.”

She shrugs. “I don’t want to be overlooked or forgotten. I want to deserve being called a figure skating prodigy. It’s all I want.”

“I saw you with the kid in the pool,” I admit and her face pales. “You miss him, don’t you? But you’re too stubborn to realize.”

Asami wraps her arms around me. “Thank you for being such a good friend, Sayuri.”

She avoided my question, but I let it go. Maybe Sousuke was right and she really needs to realize it herself.

~~~~~~~~~~

I blow the candles and everyone claps, cheering for me. I’ve had an amazing birthday, I got to spend my special day with the people that matter the most to me.

My dad starts cutting the cake, when my phone vibrates. I take it out, smiling when I see the caller ID, then answer.

“Hey, Haru!”

“Happy birthday, Sayuri,” he says and I realized I’ve missed his monotone voice so much. “How have you been?”

“Great, actually. I’m busy with training, but I get along with my coach. How are you, Haru?”

“Training camp,” he replies, sighing and I chuckle. “Too many people telling me how I should swim, when they all should know by now that…”

“You only swim free,” I intervene, laughing. “I’ve missed you, Haru.”

“I missed you, too, Sayuri. How is Sousuke?” he asks.

“His recovery is amazing,” I reply, cheerfully. “Even my dad is surprised.”

“I’m happy for you both.” There’s a pause and Haru chuckles, then murmurs a few words to someone. 

I almost drop my phone, because I’ve never heard him use such a loving voice.

“Rin wishes you a happy birthday, too,” he explains.

“Ah, thank you,” I tell him. “I’m happy for you, Haru.”

“Why?” he asks, genuinely surprised.

“Because you’re finally with the person you love the most.”

Haru pauses again, long enough to make me question of he ended the call or something. Eventually, though, he says “Yeah,” and I swear I can hear the smile in his voice.

Sousuke wraps his arms around my waist, kissing my cheek after the call is over. “Ready to open your presents?”

I turn my head so I can kiss him on the lips. “Ready.”


	42. Asami's POV

Victor and Yuri hug me at the same time when they arrive at the apartment Ritsu rented for the four of us, for our stay in Toronto. As usual, my coach went to the airport to pick them up, but because their flight was delayed, they ended up arrived a little after midnight.

“Asami, you’ve lost weight,” Yuri remarks as he picks me up and tests a spin with me in his arms. “Wow, you’re even lighter than before, what if I throw you too hard and you fall?” he asks. “My anxiety just went through the roof.”

Victor waves his hand. “It’s just a charity event, calm down, Yuri. Everything will be okay.”

“Ah, there’s something I forgot to tell you, Asami,” Ritsu says. “They made a last moment decision and asked for exhibition performances, too. They want solo skates for this.”

I groan. “Oh, great. I’ll perform Nothing else matters alone and make some shit up on the spot if I don’t remember the choreo.”

“Yuri can perform his Eros skate as well,” Victor comments, looking at his boyfriend up and down and licking his lips. “It’s been so long since I got to see it.”

The brunet clears his voice. “Victor,” he mutters, blushing as he elbows him in the side. “Let’s go to bed before you say something else,” he adds, smiling at me and Ritsu before he drags the silver haired skater after him.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Zero emotions, but at least you seem fearless,” Victor comments after Yuri and I practice the short program and free skate for the last time, the evening before the charity event.

Ritsu nods. “She’s been like this since Skate Canada,” he says, sighing. “I can’t even scold her, because she’s landing all her jumps and never misses a single step.”

“Stop talking like I’m not here,” I snap. “I got gold at Skate Canada, so cut me some slack.”

“Can we do the death spiral one more time?” Yuri asks me, trying to ease the tension, like usual. “Just so I feel confident tomorrow.”

“Sure,” I reply. “Let’s skate the whole short program, actually.”

“Then you’re done,” Ritsu intervenes. “Even you stamina freaks need your rest.”

“You should make it look like you two are in love,” Victor suggests right before we start. “Like you can’t wait for the program to be over so you can rip each other’s clothes off or something.”

The brunet skater lets out the deepest sigh I’ve ever heard. “And how are we supposed to do that?”

“That actually seems like a good idea,” my coach comments. “Just picture the person you’d actually want to skate with if you could.”

Yuri smiles, his eyes immediately turning to Victor, who blows him a kiss. I roll my eyes, pretending to gag and my partner blushes deeply.

Right before the music starts and we begin to skate, one thought fills my head. How I wish I’d get to skate this with Ikuya.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yuri’s mouth drops as he sees me with my version of the Eros costume on. The top is almost completely see through, except for the chest area, not just the right side like his. Instead of pants, however, I’ve got a black skirt that is red underneath, similar to the piece of material at his right hip.

I reach my arms towards him and he pulls me in a tight embrace. We don’t need words to encourage each other, we just put everything we would’ve said in this hug.

We part, smiling at each other, then walk towards the rink so we can watch the performance before us. I recognize the female skater, Elizabeth, the silver medalist from last year’s Grand Prix Final. She’s American, a wonderful figure skater, but a bully. She kept trying to intimidate other skaters but emphasizing their flaws seconds before they had to perform. That didn’t work on me, of course, but we’re enemies ever since.

When her performance is over, Elizabeth walks right past me, our arms brushing against each other. She looks down at me, smirking in a superior way and that’s all I get from her. I grit my teeth, annoyed at her stupid height. I forgot she’s ten centimetres taller than me.

“A friend of yours?” Yuri teases.

I groan. “I wish she’d drop dead, the stupid tall jerk. She pisses me off.”

He takes my hand, gently squeezing my fingers. “Don’t think about her right now. Are you ready, Asami?”

I smile, feeling a little excited. “Yes, Yuri. I’m ready.”

We slide on the ice holding hands as our names are being announced. We stop in the middle of the rink, mirroring each other’s poses. The first half of the program has an intense step sequence, so we take Victor’s advice and actually flirt with each other as we skate. Then, we slide in opposite direction, getting ready for the two jumps, the triple Axel and the quad Salchow. We reunite after landing our jumps, spinning with each other as the short program is coming to an end. I take a deep breath, putting my trust into Yuri as he grabs my right hand, slowly lowering me as we continue to spin. I arch backward on my left foot, my head almost touching the ice as we keep spinning, faster and faster.

What I didn’t expect, because we never practiced for it, is that when Yuri pulls me back up, he doesn’t let go of my arm. Instead, he lifts me, keeping me above him with a hand on my right hip. I gasp, grabbing onto his shoulder as instinct kicks in and I stretch my other arm and legs elegantly, barely remembering to smile professionally. 

The public is ecstatic, cheering for us as he puts me back down, still keeping one arm around me, his face inches away from mine as we finish our program. Then, we bow to the public, skating around in circles as we hold hands and wave, before making our way off the rink.

“That was fun,” I comment, laughing. “Nice touch, Yuri. Didn’t expect it.”

“Victor’s idea,” he says, chuckling. “We practiced together and believe me, he’s so damn heavy.”

We laugh together as we make our way to the waiting areas. The charity event has only five pairs invited so that it can be organized in one day. This way, we have time to change into our next outfits while the others perform their free skate. After that, we get to have a two hour break before we all have to perform our exhibition programs.

“I’ll sleep all day tomorrow,” I tell Yuri as I open a bottle of water. “This event is exhausting.”

He nods, looking around for a second. “I’m used to Victor being with me,” he admits. “Right about now, he would probably tell me what I did wrong in the short program.”

I chuckle. “You were perfect, enough with that.”

“Still whining, Katsudon?”

We both turn around, startled at the intruder. I let out a short scream, then jump onto the blond Russian skater and wrap my arms around him tightly.

“Yurio, long time no see,” the brunet tells him, smiling. “What are you doing here?”

“None of your damn business,” Yura retorts, almost growling. He pats my back, motioning for me to let go. “Asami, what the fuck? You’re just skin and bones, have you been sick?”

“Not you too,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “I lost weight as a conscious decision.”

The blond snorts. “I never thought I’d live to see the day my favorite snake will suffer from heartbreak.”

I shove him playfully. “I’m not the one who travelled almost twenty four hours just to keep an eye on Beka now, have I?”

Yura mutters some Russian curse under his breath, frowning in anger when the music starts and Otabek starts skating around his partner, before picking her up. 

“Disgusting,” he comments, brushing a hand through his hair.

“Does he know you’re here?” I ask him, chukling. 

“No, I’m here to surprise him,” he replies, sighing. “I made Yakov ask Beka’s coach about their flight to Moscow, so I can return with him.”

“The things you do for love,” I whisper into his ear as I give him a one armed hug. “I’m proud of you, Yuratchka.”

He clicks his tongue when he sees Otabek spin with the Kazakh girl in his arms, ending the performance with his hands on her waist. They wave to the public and the brunette wraps her arms around Beka’s neck, kissing him on the cheek. The Kazakh skater pats her head, just like an older brother would do, then elegantly evades her when she tries to take his hand, waving to the public enthusiastically on his way off the rink.

His professional smile falters and he slows down, almost stopping when he comes closer and notices Yuri, who looks like a murderous blond cat. Then, Otabek starts moving again, skating faster than before, his eyes locked on Yura’s face.

“Yuri,” he calls, his smile wide as he tackles the blond, one arm circling his boyfriend’s waist and the other hand pressed to the back of Yura’s head, fingers tangling in the golden locks. “Yuri, I can’t believe my eyes!”

The Kazakh girl joins us after a few seconds, raising an eyebrow at the scene. I clear my voice, drawing her attention to me and explain “They’re very good friends, they haven’t seen each other in a long time.”

She nods, pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear, then she smiles as she looks me up and down. “Hebi – chan, right?”

I chuckle as she suddenly flirts with me, then nod. As recent as last year, I would’ve flirted back and by the end of the day, we might have transformed our flirting into something else, in one of our hotel rooms. However, not I can’t bring myself to flirt with her. I don’t want her…or someone else.

“I’m Ayzere,” she says and I nod. “I won silver last year in pairs skating.”

“How did you end up skating with Beka?” I ask, making sure the boys could hear as well.

“My usual partner didn’t want to skate for this event, I wanted to, so he introduced me to Otabek,” Ayzere replies, laughing. “Now I want to convice Otabek to switch to pairs skating, but he doesn’t even want to think about it.”

“Good,” Yura snaps, making Ayzere turn to look at him. “You suck at pair skating,” he tells Beka. “Just do something you’re at least decent at.”

Otabek looks away, biting on his bottom lip hard as he does his best not to burst out laughing at Yura’s jealousy. 

“There must be something wrong with your eyes,” the Kazakh girl retorts. “Otabek is made for pair skating.”

I nudge Yuri, because this is where he would usually intervene and break the tension, but he’s busy texting Victor. I sigh, dreading it, then clear my voice and wave my arms as if to break Yura and Ayzere apart, not that they’re even paying attention to me. I give up, grabbing Yuri’s arm and motion for him to follow me into the locker rooms. We need to get changed into our next costumes.

Before we know it, it’s our turn to perform our free skate. We have adapted my free skate that Ritsu choreographed for me two years ago, on Nothing Else Matters so that we can skate in pairs. I’m a bit nervous about the twist lift, otherwise I’m okay with it. Our costumes have a few straps, leather insertions and metal rings on them, to resemble the heavy metal style of the band Metallica.

We skate on the second half of the song and I’m excited and scared for the guitar solo that’s coming soon, because that’s where we inserted the twist lift.

I take a deep breath, tensing my body when Yuri grabs my waist and lifts me. I twist my body midair, like I’m supposed to and before I know it, I feel his hands on my waist again. He places me back on the ice and we continue with our step sequence, ending the free skate with twin double Toeloops. The original free skate ended with a quad Salchow, but we didn’t want to risk falling and embarrassing ourselves, since the other pairs kept it simple and without falls as well.

We bow to the cheering crowd, then smile at each other. We’re both tired, but it was worth it.

The two hour break is exhausting in its own way, because we’re supposed to give interviews. I want to bang my head against the wall after the fourth reporter asks me about my thoughts and feelings towards this event and I have to repeat the same words over and over again, until I feel they’ve lost their meaning.

I eventually manage to sneak into a waiting room for some peace and quiet, closing the door behind me. I sigh, resting my forehead against the wood, when I hear a faint chuckle behind me. 

I turn around and notice Elizabeth and another skater going through a magazine and joking about something. I know the other girl is Russian, but I don’t remember her name.

Elizabeth flips her blonde hair over one shoulder, raising her head to look at me. “Oh, look, Tatiana, the star herself.”

I raise an eyebrow and both girls laugh.

“There are pictures from your last underwear shoot in this magazine,” Tatiana explains, motioning for me to come closer.

Judging from Elizabeth’s smug grin, I think my face has paled, but still, I approach them casually, as if nothing fazes me. 

I almost double over when I see the pictures with me and Ikuya, the way we look at each other.

“Who’s the pretty boy?” the Russian girl asks, her eyes sparking. 

Elizabeth laughs. “Hey, Asami, you’re not dating him or anything, right? Give my friend his phone number or something.” She swings an arm over the Russian girl’s shoulders. “They’d make a great pair, don’t you think?” she adds, grinning like a predator at me.

The expression on my face must has given something away, otherwise she wouldn’t attack me like this. I shake my head, but I can’t take my eyes off the magazine. I want to rip it out of her hands and gouge her eyes out so she would stop looking at him.

Ikuya is mine. No, he was mine. I broke up with him, because I thought gold medals mattered more. Nothing else besides winning matters, right?

“Hey, Asami, the exhibition programs are starting,” Yuri calls me as he walks into the room. 

I turn around to face him and his eyes widen. “Are you alright?”

I pass a hand over my face, trying to cover everything, like I’m supposed to. “Yes,” I reply.

“Are you sure? You’re skating first, but if you don’t feel well…”

“No, no, I’m fine,” I cut him off, smiling. “I’ll go skate, no big deal.”

I walk towards the rink, keeping my fake smile on until I reach the ice. I want to curl into a ball and cry, because I miss him. I miss Ikuya so much, it hurts. I have an excruciating headache because I’m trying to push the tears back and I feel dizzy, but I think I can skate. 

The music starts and my stomach drops. I slide around, barely remembering the choreo, despite the fact that I’ve just skated it. Every time I hear the vocalist sing the words “nothing else matters”, I want to scream at him to stop.

I was wrong, so wrong. I don’t know when it happened, but my tears are streaking down my face. I can’t take it anymore.

I’m too distracted to remember the first jump, so I just pick the triple Salchow. I’m not surprised I fall, considering how badly I performed it, but what shocks me is that I can’t get up. There’s a knot in my throat, I can’t breathe and no matter how hard I wipe at my tears, they don’t stop.

No more, I’m done. I barely manage to get up and I start sliding towards the edge of the rink. I barely register the pain in my left leg as I leave the ice, running away and hiding in one of the waiting rooms.

I sit on a bench, pulling my knees up as I cover my face with my hands. I sob uncontrollably, I want to stop, but I can’t. 

Strong arms wrap around me and Ritsu murmurs “It’s okay, Asami, it’s okay,” into my ear. I bury my face into his neck, hiding my face as I continue to cry. He rubs his hand in circles onto my back, trying to comfort me, as he continues to tell me that it’s okay to just cry and let it all out.

I don’t know how much time has passed when my eyes are finally dry and I’m out of tears. I raise my head and Ritsu pulls out a napkin and tries to wipe the streaking make up off my cheeks.

“I’m going to Barcelona,” I announce before he gets the change to say anything. “You can try to stop me, I don’t care. I’m going.”

I think I’m going to cry again when Ritsu smiles and says “See you in Moscow, then.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ritsu helped me book plane tickets, as well as a hotel, so I have three days in Barcelona between flights. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a great coach, but I’ll be forever indebted to him for this. 

I was lucky, though, because I got to leave for Barcelona the night after the charity event during which I embarrassed myself so much I can’t bear to think about it. However, my pride is not the priority, so I push the event in the back of my mind.

I’m exhausted because I haven’t slept during the flight at all, despite it taking almost eight hours. However, I’m so scared about meeting Ikuya that I feel wide awake.

I recover my suitcase, then pull out my phone and dial Hiyori’s number, because it’s no use wasting my time. I came to take a risk, might as well do it sooner, rather than later.

“Hiyori, I have a favor to ask.”


	43. Otabek's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY got some free time and I was able to write a chapter xD I hope I'll get more time this weekend, I'm dying to get back to Asami and Ikuya.

I slam Yuri with his back against the door as soon as we’re inside the small locker room, my mouth covering his as he whimpers. I push my hands underneath his black T shirt as I kiss my way along his jawline and down his neck.

Yuri moans, running his hands through my hair and gripping it when I brush the tips of my fingers over his nipples.

“Beka, wait,” he mutters when one of my hands starts going down on his body. “Beka,” he tries again, as my fingers start slipping inside his pants.

“What is it, Kot?” I ask him, licking the shell of his ear.

He shivers, but still manages to grab my wrist and stop me. “What the fuck happened between you and the Kazakh girl?”

I chuckle in his ear. “Is that why you came all the way to Canada? You wanted to keep an eye on me?”

I lick at the side of his neck, enjoying his quiet moans as I slip my hand inside his pants and grab him. I’ll forever be amused at Yura’s attempts to being mad at me for whatever reason while I’m stroking him.

“Answer the damn question,” Yuri demands, his voice breaking when I brush my thumb over his tip.

“We trained and skated together, that’s all,” I reply, with my lips against his skin. “I love it when you get jealous,” I murmur as I slowly go down on my knees, lowering his pants at the same time.

“I’m not jealous,” the blond protests, moaning loudly when I close my mouth around the head of his dick. “Beka, please.”

“What is it?” I ask as I give his dick a tentative lick, before I take all of it in my mouth.

I grab his hips, slamming him into the door to keep him still as I start bobbing my head. Yuri slaps a hand over his mouth, muffling his cries and that’s when we hear it.

There’s a knock on the door.

We both freeze and Yuri looks down at me, his eyes wide as he panics. He presses both hands over his mouth, staring at me in disbelief when I start moving again.

There’s another knock on the door and I hear Ayzere’s voice yell “Otabek, I know you’re in there! I heard you! The exhibition for female skaters will start soon, come out!”

I warn Yura with a look, digging my fingers into his skin with bruising pressure as I move faster, relaxing my throat so he can slide deeper. He runs one hand through my hair, gripping it as he does his best not to move. However, he unconsciously buckles his hips once, making me choke a little and that triggers his orgasm. Yuri manages to pull out in time as he falls forward, coming hard on my chest. However, he places both hands on my shoulders to keep himself upright, and that leaves his mouth free. He lets out a few loud whimpers before he realizes, then bites his bottom lip to stop the sounds.

Ayzere knocks again. “I knew it, I heard you! Come out and watch me skate!”

Yuri tenses and frowns in anger, but I press one hand to his mouth to warn him to be quiet. “Go away, Ayzere, I’m busy! Go bother someone else!”

She groans. “If you don’t come out to watch me, I’ll go hit the clubs tonight and lie about my age, so be warned, you know you’ll be held responsible.”

“I’ll take the risk,” I yell back.

Ayzere pauses, then knocks again. “What do I tell the coach?”

I sigh, passing a hand over my face, but don’t answer anything. 

A few knocks later, she gives up and leaves.

“You didn’t stop,” Yuri remarks, dumbfounded. He stares at me for a few seconds before he bursts out laughing. “Beka, what the fuck is wrong with you?” he asks between laughs, as he wipes a tear away.

I shrug and he laughs even harder. 

“What was I supposed to do, talk to her with your dick in my mouth?” I point out, laughing as well. “Now help me out of this costume, Kot,” I add, pointing to the stain on my chest.

Yura blushes, but doesn’t say anything else.

~~~~~~~~~~

We come out of the men’s locker rooms in time to see Ritsu and Asami leaving. Her eyes are red and shiny, she’s wearing his coat over her costume and he’s got one arm around her shoulders.  
She notices us and gives us a small smile. “At least you two missed my embarrassing performance,” she comments, sighing. “I’ll explain things later,” she tells Yuri, ruffling his blond hair as she passes us.

“What the fuck was that?” the blond asks me, after they left.

“I’m sure we’ll hear multiple versions of the story,” I reply, shaking my head. “I have to go now, Kot.” My cheeks warm up a little. “Enjoy my exhibition skate,” I murmur, looking away and blushing even harder.

“That’s what I’m here for,” he replies with confidence. Yuri looks around, then stands on his toes and plants a quick peck on my lips.

He looks shocked at himself that he’s just done that, because he usually hates showing affection in public, so he leaves before I get to chance to pull him closer for another one.

“I knew you’d come,” Ayzere says, suddenly appearing behind me.

I flinch, with a spike of fear through me. The last thing I want is people finding out about Yuri and me, the scandal would probably be the end of his career. I’d cut off my legs before I’d let that happen.

“So, where’s your girlfriend?” she asks. “Did she break up with you or something, you look a little pale.”

I slowly shake my head, relief flooding me. “She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t even asked for her name.”

“Ah, I see, a quick fuck,” Ayzere offers, chuckling.

“You shouldn’t be talking like that, Ayzere,” I lecture her. “It’s not very ladylike.”

“Fortunately, I’m not a lady,” she retorts. “I’ll make such a good impression today, since Asami left the ice crying her eyes out. People say that she was just overwhelmed with emotions, but I don’t buy that shit. Hebi – chan has no emotions at all.”

“Overwhelmed by what?”

She shrugs, already walking away. “Maybe her cat died, I don’t know. See you later, Beka!”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Your hair got longer,” I comment as I wash Yura’s blond, silky hair. I gently rub my fingers along his scalp, massaging his head and he lets out a content sigh.

“I’ll probably cut it soon,” he replies, closing his eyes when I turn the water on and start rinsing his hair.

“I like it this way, I think it suits you. Especially when you pull it up in a top knot,” I remark, chuckling when he suddenly leans with his back against my chest.

“I look too feminine,” he mutters, tilting his head back and resting it on my shoulder.

I wrap my arms around him, kissing his temple as I slide lower into the bathtub, until the water reaches Yuri’s neck.

“No, you’re just beautiful,” I eventually say, kissing his cheek this time.

Yuri hums, relaxing completely in my arms. The water is still hot enough, so we have another fifteen minutes or so until we have to get out. Then, I need to take him back to his hotel, so we don’t get caught, but I dread that moment already.

“Don’t fall asleep, Yuri,” I murmur into his ear.

“You can just carry me to the bed,” he replies, without opening his eyes.

“How am I supposed to wake you up and take you back to your hotel after that, Kot?” I ask, shaking my head. “Don’t make things difficult.”

“Then don’t wake me up, unless you have something else in mind. Other than taking me to my hotel.”

I swallow hard, trying to keep myself from ravishing him right then.

“What if someone sees us tomorrow?”

Yuri shrugs, without a care in the world. “So? We’re friends, nothing more.”

“You don’t have any reason to be here, you know. You’re supposed to be in Russia right now.”

“Otabek, for fuck’s sake, let me relax,” the blond groans. “I can feel your stress…ah, no, I think I can feel something else,” he adds, grinning as he slowly moves his lower body.

I let out a deep sigh and he starts laughing, moving his hips harder this time. However, when I let my hands travel lower on his body, his chuckles turn into moans.


	44. Ikuya's POV

I resurface, taking a deep breath as I grab onto the edge of the pool and pull myself out of the water. I remove my swim cap and goggles, then start making my way to the locker rooms.

What I want is to watch the skating charity event from yesterday. More specifically, I want to watch Asami skate, but I’ve managed to convince myself that it’s better not to. 

Also, I don’t understand what’s gotten into Hiyori all of a sudden. He tried all day to convince me to join the others for dinner at a fancy restaurant. I had no idea he’s a fan of such a place, where during dinner, random people play the piano or sing.

I check the time, sighing when I see it’s 6 pm already, so the guys must all be at the restaurant by now. If I go change right now, I’ll make it in about forty minutes.

I sigh again, then call an Uber and start getting dressed at the same time. I’ll just shower at the hotel room. What the fuck do you wear at such a restaurant?

~~~~~~~~~~

I shuffle into a more comfortable position on the backseat of the Uber and take out my phone. The driver informs me in a heavily accented English that we’re stuck in a traffic jam, which delayes our time by about fifteen minutes. I refrain from sighing and just nod, then open my phone.

Before I know it, I’m already searching for the skating charity event. I cringe at myself because I don’t have the patience to watch the others, I just skip through it, only stopping at Asami and Yuri’s short program.

She looks so beautiful, yet so cold and so far away from me. She smiles when she’s supposed to, but there’s nothing warm or comforting about that. Asami is just professional.

Somewhere along the way, she started skating without emotions and I don’t know what happened to her.

I scroll further through the video, stopping for their free skate this time. Asami looks better now, her expressions genuine. She really feels the music, stealing the show from Yuri, unlike at their short program.

I almost close the video after their free skate is over, but then decide on a whim to check out the comments. I scroll through them, my eyes widening when I read some of them.

_OMG so lame…_

_I never thought I’d watch a professional skater cry after a fall. SO disappointed._

_The graphic depiction of why snakes don’t jump LOL._

I’m confused, because Asami didn’t fall. I’ve watched both the short program and the free skate and she didn’t fall, not even once. I look at the comments again.

_Maybe we’re all dumb and her exhibition was all that drama. Who knows, Hebi – chan is weird like that._

Exhibition? I had no idea there was supposed to be an exhibition at the event. I go back to the video, scrolling through it until I find Asami. 

I can’t believe my eyes. She looks pale, her eyes haunted as she begins her exhibition skate. Then she falls like an amateur during her first jump. My mouth drops when I watch her struggle to get up, sobbing at the same time. Eventually, she manages to stand and slides out of the rink, without looking back.

“We’re here,” the Uber driver informs me.

I look up from my phone, confused for a second, so he repeats his sentence. I shake my head, thanking him before I get out of the car.

What the hell happened to her? I’ve never seen her like this, not even once and I’m not talking about her performances. During her events, Asami is the most professional person, both during her skates and interviews.

I pull my jacket closer, shivering because of how cold it is, then slide my phone back in my pocket, to shelter it from the sudden rain.

I forget everything about the pouring rain and the cold when someone opens the door of the restaurant and I see her. I rub at my eyes, then look again, because I can’t believe it.

Asami is here, playing the piano and singing.

An older man asks me something in Spanish and I look away from Asami. He notices my confusion, so he just motions for me to come inside the restaurant. I walk in, but stop right at the door, because my legs seem to have frozen up. I can’t force myself to go further, I’m frozen by the door.

“All I know, all I know  
Loving you is a losing game.”

She finishes the song and gets up, then starts walking away from the piano as if it burned her. She’s walking towards the door where I’m standing, so I panic for a second, but then a group of young girls swarm her. I watch her talking to them and nodding when one of them offers her a rose, then I simply walk out of the restaurant.

What is she doing here? Hiyori must have something to do with this, I don’t believe in coincidences. Asami was in Toronto yesterday, skating at the charity event and now she’s singing and playing the piano in a restaurant in Barcelona, where I was supposed to meet with Hiyori and the others.

I look up, closing my eyes and trying to calm myself as the cold drops of rain his my face. I can’t think of any rational explanation. My heart wants to believe that Asami is here for me, but my mind will not stop replaying the same conversation I had with her, over and over again.

I take a few steps back, making sure she won’t see me when she comes out of the restaurant. I want to be able to walk away, call an Uber and just go back to the hotel so I won’t have to face her. But I can’t do it.

Asami finally comes out of the restaurant and immediately wraps her arms around herself. She’s wearing a backless dress and she visibly shivers because of the cold rain. She raises her head to look at the sky and I finally notice that her body is trembling because she’s crying, not because of the cold.

Half of me wants to run away from her and the other half wants to embrace her and never let her go. 

Asami tries to wipe her tears away and she looks so small and vulnerable as she does that. Not just because she lost weight, she also looks defeated somehow.

I start walking towards her and take my jacket off at the same time. She flinches when I place my coat over her shoulders and turns around, staring at me in disbelief.

“Only you could go outside without a coat during winter,” I comment, chuckling. “I know it’s Barcelona, but still…”

“Ikuya, I thought…when I didn’t see you…” Asami presses her lips together, her tears streaking down her cheeks as she tries to wipe at them with the back of her hand. 

I wrap an arm around her waist when I notice her legs are shaking. Asami looks like she’s on the verge of collapsing.

“Asami, what is going on with you?” I ask her. “Do you want to go back inside?”

The brunette shakes her head, sighing as she leans into me. 

“Why did you come here, Asami?” I insist.

I pull away from her suddenly, without realizing that she will fall to her knees.

“Asami!” I exclaim, reaching my arms to catch her.

“Sorry,” she murmurs, passing a hand over her face. “I was too anxious to eat and…”

My eyes widen. “What does that mean? When was the last time you ate something?”

“Yesterday morning…”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m calling an Uber. What hotel are you staying at?”

Asami closes one eye. “I didn’t get the chance to book a room or something. I just left my things in Haru’s room and…”

“Unbelievable!” I exclaim, drawing the attention of some passers – bye. I sigh, suddenly feeling embarrassed at my outburst. 

I take my phone out and call an Uber, then hand it to her. “Hold on to me,” I tell her as I pull one of her arms around my neck. 

I wrap my arms around her, my chest tightening when I pick her up. I managed to stay calm so far, but now that I feel her warmth… I open my mouth, ready to ask her for a second chance and confess my feelings once again.

The Uber pulls up in front of us and I’m spared from saying something I might regret.

~~~~~~~~~~

I sit on an uncomfortable chair, as far away from Asami as I can. Still, I can’t look anywhere else, but at her. She’s sitting cross legged in the middle of my bed, wearing one of my T shirts with the logo of my University and a white towel around her shoulders, preventing her wet hair to drip everywhere.

She’s eating french fries and she’s wearing my T shirt and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. 

I clear my voice, adjusting my position and hoping my pants are loose enough to hide my erection. I drink some water and run my fingers through my hair, trying to calm myself, because I don’t want any distractions.

“So, ready to tell me why did you come all the way to Barcelona?” I ask, harsher than I intended. 

I’m not stupid, I’ve seen her exhibition skate and Hiyori dutifully sent me the video of her singing both songs. Asami practically confessed her love for me with the first song, looked around and didn’t see me, then moved on to the second one, declaring herself heartbroken.

“Because I’m very selfish,” she replies, surprising me. “I realized how wrong I was, gold medals don’t matter, popularity doesn’t matter. You matter to me.”

I bawl my eyes out, shocked at her direct words. The girl doesn’t beat around the bush, I’ll give her that.

“I know it might be too late,” Asami adds, flipping her wet hair over one shoulder. “I still believe I’m not good for you, but I’m also very selfish. So, Ikuya,” she says, placing her food aside and getting up from the bed. The brunette walks towards me, confident and beautiful as usual, then reaches her hand towards me.

“I’m here to ask you to start over. Like we’re just getting to know each other, for real this time.”

I stare at her hand, unable to speak for a while. Eventually, she let’s it drop, then turns with her back to me.

“It’s fine,” she says, clenching her fists. “Forget I said anything,” she adds, her voice annoyingly even.

I grit my teeth, then grab her by her waist and force her into my lap. Asami grips my forearms, struggling, but I tighten my arms around her and don’t let her move.

“Is it really fine, though? You traveled from Toronto to Barcelona to tell me it’s fine?” I snap, letting my anger get the better of me.

“Let me go, Ikuya,” Asami warns me, but I’m not having any of it.

“Do you think you can tell me shit like this and expect me to stay calm?” I continue, raising my voice. “Do you really think you can sing your love to me and I’ll forgive you?”

Asami struggles even harder. “I get it, Ikuya, it’s okay! Now let me go.”

She’s still pretending to be calm and this angers me the most.

“You thought you had me wrapped around your little finger, right, Asami? That you can toss me around however you like, that…”

“Just stop!” she yells. “Stop it!” Asami bends forward, letting out a sob, her whole body shaking. “Please, stop, I’m begging you,” she murmurs, covering her face with both hands. “I’m so sorry for hurting you, but please, just stop,” she continues, her voice muffled.

I feel like shit because I upset her this way, but I couldn’t take it anymore. Her calm, but fake demeanor was driving me crazy.

“When did we become so toxic for each other?” I mutter, sighing as I rest my head between her shoulder blades.

I place my hands on her hips and she turns around in my arms, burying her face in the crook of my neck. She’s crying silently and I embrace her tight as I feel her tears trickling down my neck. I would like nothing more than to kiss her and tell her that everything will be alright, but I can’t. It hurt too bad when she ended things last time and I don’t want to go through it again when she changes her mind again.

“When are you leaving again?” I ask and she tenses.

“In two days,” Asami replies as she lifts her head, her voice quiet.

I place one hand on the side of her neck and wipe her tears away with my thumb. 

“What triggered it?” I inquire and she looks at me confused. “Why now?”

Asami looks down, blushing. “I couldn’t bring myself to look at the photos we took together, but some female skaters had a magazine and I saw some of them there. And I couldn’t lie to myself anymore, Ikuya.”

The brunette stares deeply into my eyes as she says “If you ask me to give up on skating, I would. Right this instant.”

“I would never ask you such a thing,” I retort, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her a bit. “Why do you have to be so extreme? This is exactly why I don’t trust you, Asami. It’s like you have split personality. I don’t know which one of your versions you’ll be tomorrow. It’s not fair to ask me to trust you again, you were the one who broke things off with me without a reason.”

I sigh, because I can’t help feeling guilty when I see her eyes filling up with tears again. However, my guilt is soon replaced with anger when she looks up and blinks, in an attempt to hide her tears.

“This shit drives me mad, too,” I tell her. “You always try to hide your true feelings. If you feel like crying, just cry, don’t just show me a fake smile.”

Asami chuckles as she wipes at her eyes. “I’m tired of crying, my head hurts and my eyes sting.”

I find myself laughing as well, even though I don’t know why. I shake my head, wrapping my arms around her again and pulling her closer to me.

“I love you,” Asami tells me and my chest hurts.

I’ve waited so long to hear these words from her, that I don’t know if I’m able to say them back anymore.

“I love you, no matter what you decide,” she adds as I rest my chin atop her head. “All I want is another chance for us to start over. I’m not asking for anything else, I understand you don’t trust me, but, Ikuya…”

I slam my mouth onto hers, shutting her up. No matter how angry I am with her, no matter how much my chest hurts, I’m still painfully attracted to her. I run my fingers through her hair, gripping it as I angle her head and deepen the kiss. 

Tomorrow, I think to myself. I’ll decide what to do tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a song that I found out after writing about Asami and Ikuya all this time. In my head, they're both singing it and it perfectly depicts their relationship. Unfortunately, it is not in English, but in my language, so I'll put a link for the English translation as well.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSLUjGqDZqE
> 
> https://lyricstranslate.com/ro/insula-island.html-0
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the song as well! ^_^


	45. Rin's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to our favorite shark, Rin! ^_^

I grab Haru’s arm, preventing him from getting up. He frowns at me, so I point to the exit of the restaurant and the brunet turns around just in time to see Ikuya walking out, right as some Spanish girls intercept Asami on her way there.

“It will be okay, let them sort it out,” I whisper in his ear, smiling.

“I don’t want to let her go outside dressed like that, it’s raining,” he tries, taking his sister’s coat and trying to get up again.

“Ikuya won’t let her stand in the rain, don’t worry so much,” I retort, planting my palm on his thigh and keeping him down.

We both watch Asami interact with her fans a little, before walking out the door. Haru lets out a sigh and I gently caress his thigh.

“You didn’t touch your food,” my boyfriend eventually says, changing the subject. “Don’t you like it, Rin?”

I shrug. “It’s fine.”

“We can trade, if you’d like,” he offers and I find myself blushing. 

“You should stop doing sweet things without having a clue about it, Haru,” I mutter, chuckling at his confused face. “Yes, thank you, I’d like to trade.”

Asahi snorts. “Stop with the romantic shit, guys. I’m trying to eat.”

Haru blinks, still confused. “What romantic shit?”

I automatically turn to look at Hiyori, who’s quick to make mean, but funny remarks and I find him absorbed by his phone.

“Ikuya doesn’t reply to any of my texts,” he explains, after he feels me staring. “I feel bad for Asami.”

“He was here, didn’t you see him? He stood by the door a little, then walked back out right after Asami finished singing.”

The auburn haired swimmer raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t know. Oh, so it all worked out,” he says, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m never doing stuff like this again, it was too stressful.”

Asahi starts laughing. “Imagine if they don’t make up after all this, it will be your fault for not organizing this properly.”

Hiyori pales and opens his mouth to reply, but Haru cuts him off.

“My sister has never done anything like this, if Ikuya doesn’t forgive her, then it’s no one’s fault but his.”

“Should I remind you that she broke up with him first?” I intervene, immediately regretting it when Haru turns his cold eyes towards me. “I’m sorry,” I mouth, picking up my glass.

He shakes his head, looking away and I wince. I hate making him angry, because he doesn’t usually argue with me, he just gives me the silent treatment.

I rub my thigh against his and he flinches. He clears his voice, adjusting his position, but I just move my leg too, so that I don’t lose the contact.

“Knock it off,” he murmurs, blushing a little. “We’re in public.”

“We’re in Spain, Haru, they don’t a give shit here,” I retort, placing my hand on the small of his back.

The brunet straightens up immediately, then slaps my hand away. “Stop touching me, Rin.”

I chuckle, then push my hand underneath his jacket, placing my palm on his back. I can feel his warmth through the shirt he’s wearing.

“Rin,” Haru says, turning to look at me again.

His eyes are cold, but his voice gave away something that made my pants feel so tight on me.

“It’s been too long since we got to enjoy each other,” I complain. “I want more, not just cuddles and kisses.”

“We can’t exactly enjoy each other when we’re so tired that we almost fall asleep in the shower, right?” he points out and I sigh. “Take your hand away, Rin, please. I can’t…”

“You can’t walk out of a fancy restaurant with a boner?” I ask, grinning.

Unfortunately, I forgot to whisper, so Hiyori, who’s sitting next to me, hears me and chokes on his water.

“What the actual fuck, guys?!”

“Sorry,” I apologize, closing one eye. 

The auburn haired man shakes his head, then picks up his phone when it vibrates. His face pales as he reads a text, then mutters “Oh, fuck.”

“What it is?” Asahi asks, a curious look on his face.

“Ikuya asked me and our other roommate not to come tonight, for obvious reasons,” he explains, groaning.

“Ah, sorry, I can’t help you, mate, we’re already three men in my hotel room,” the redhead replies. Then, he turns to look at me and Haru. “These guys have a free bed, right?”

Haru shrugs. “Fine by me.”

“I’m going to hate every minute of it,” Hiyori mutters.

I resist the urge to bang my head against the table. That’s what I get for complaining. I should’ve been thankful for the cuddles and kisses.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you think he’s asleep?” I ask Haru as I kiss him behind his ear, making him whimper softly.

“No, he’s fucking awake,” Hiyori replies, from the bed across the room.

Haru chuckles as I pass a hand over my face. “Dude, I hate your guts right now.”

“It’s not my fault, okay? And it would’ve been the same shit if Asami were here, right?”

“No, Asami sleeps with her earbuds in,” I retort, dropping my head on Haru’s chest.

My boyfriend wraps his arms around me, gently kissing my head. “Just go to sleep, Rin.”

I groan into his chest and pretend to give up for the moment. However, after ten minutes or so, as Haru is beginning to nod off himself, I quietly slip my hand in his pajama pants.

The brunet wakes up with a gasp and Hiyori swears again.

“Keep going and I’ll jump off the balcony,” he threatens.

“It’s the fifth floor, that would kill you,” I remark.

“That’s the whole fucking point,” he replies, turning on his side and pulling the covers over his head.

I sigh, removing my hand as I start to get up. “Fine, I’ll go to bed,” I relent.

Haru surprises me by pulling me back down for a short kiss. “Goodnight, Rin,” he says, kissing me again. “I’ll make it up to you,” he whispers and I chuckle.

“I can’t wait.”

~~~~~~~~~~

”Happy birthday, Rin.”

I blink as I slowly start to wake up. I’m confused at first, but then Haru kisses my temple and repeats “Happy birthday, Rin.” 

My chest tightens as I begin to realize that I’m leaving for Rome today. I wrap my arms around Haru, pulling him close.

“I don’t want to leave,” I murmur into his ear, then I bury my face in the crook of his neck. “I won’t leave.”

What I’m so worried about is that Kaede is going to join the freestyle training camp this evening and he’s going to be Haru’s new roommate, because I’m leaving. I heard the fucker actually made the request to join Haru himself.

“Don’t be silly,” Haru replies, hugging me back.

“Move with Ikuya as soon as Hiyori leaves, please, Haru. I hate the thought of Kinjou being so close to you.”

The brunet snorts. “Why? It’s not like we’ll be best friends just because we share a room. I’ll be at the swimming pool almost the whole day, anyways.”

“Just promise me.”

He rolls his eyes. “Okay, fine, I promise. Now open your present, Rin,” he says, pulling away from me a little as he offers me a small black box.

“Oh, a present?” I perk up. “It’s a little anchovy inside, right?” I tease, sticking my tongue out. 

“I’m going to hit you,” Haru deadpans and I start laughing.

However, I almost tear up when I open the box and find an elegant black bracelet, adorned with a silver dolphin and a silver shark, that have the symbol of infinity between them.

“Haru…”

“Don’t you dare cry,” the brunet warns me, smiling. “I assume you like it.”

“I love it,” I exclaim, throwing my arms around him as I pull him down for a kiss. “I’ll never take it off,” I say as I put him on my wrist. “I love you, Haru.”

“I love you, too,” he murmurs on my lips, before kissing me again.

Haru moans when I slip a hand inside his pajama pants, grabbing him.

“There isn’t time,” he tries, but his voice breaks when I push my hand forward, until the tip of my middle finger finds his entrance.

“There is plenty of time to love you a little,” I reply, my other hand blindly searching on the nightstand for the bottle of lube.

I turn him around as I pull his pants down, then slip one fingers inside of him. Haru gasps, covering his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to muffle his moans as I add a second finger.

I know I didn’t stretch him enough when I align myself with his entrance, but I need to be inside of him. I start pushing inside of him and Haru drops his face onto the pillow, muffling his screams.

I stop when I’m fully sheathed, my whole body trembling because of the effort of keeping myself from moving.

“Haru, are you alright?” I ask, running my fingers through his hair before settling them on the nape of his neck.

I bend down, kissing his shoulder, before I wrap one arm around him. Haru turns his head, muttering “Yes, I’m fine,” and whimpers when I start to slowly move.

I pick up the pace soon, because he eventually relaxes and I’m losing my head. I get up on my knees, pulling Haru up as well and I keep thrusting into him. The brunet leans with his back against me chest, moaning loudly as I push hard into him and I start moving my hand along his length as well.

It doesn’t take long for Haru to reach his climax and he slumps into my arms, quietly whimpering as I thrust into him a few more times before I find my release as well, coming inside of him.

I let ourselves fall on the bed and I turn him around to face me, my heart dropping when I see tears on his cheeks. 

“Haru, did it hurt?” I ask, pulling him closer. 

“Only at the beginning. It’s been a while and…”

“I’m sorry,” I mutter into his hair. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“No, it’s okay, Rin,” he replies, cuddling closer to me. “Let’s take a shower together and then you have to get ready.”

I groan, knowing he’s right. At least we have time for a short shower. I get up from the bed, helping him up as well. I cup his face with both hands, my chest tightening.

“Your eyes are red,” I mutter, feeling guilty. “You should’ve stopped me, Haru.”

He closes his eyes, one at a time as I wipe his tears with my thumbs.

“Rin, I told you, I’m fine,” he insists, tugging on my arm as he pulls me towards the shower.

“Let me make it up to you, at least,” I offer when we’re in the shower, as I kneel in front of him.

“You don’t have to,” he begins, a gasp escaping his mouth as I wrap my lips around his dick.

I almost miss my flight.


	46. Hiyori's POV

I open the door at about 6 am, stifling a yawn as I quietly walk in. I rub a hand through my messy hair, then let myself drop on the sofa, closing my eyes as I rest.

I slept like shit in a room with those two horny assholes for the past three days. This morning I had to wake up even earlier than before, because it’s Rin’s birthday and I sure as hell don’t want to see some live action. He has to leave in a few hours for the airport, so I wanted to make sure to be out of their hair before they even woke up.

Asami also leaves tonight, she has a night flight to Moscow, so I’m happy to have my room back. I have one week left for this freestyle training camp, and I already dread the one waiting for me in Seoul. Ji – Hoon even texted me a few days ago, telling me how excited he is for us to spend more time together.

I check my phone when it vibrates, immediately smiling when I see the short video Hana has sent me. Her eyes are wide as she struggles to keep Sushi on her shoulder, while the cat is hitting her cheek with her paw, before licking the exact same spot, as if in apology.

I decide to video call her and she answers, surprised. “Hey, Hiyori. Why aren’t you sleeping, it’s early in the morning in Barcelona, right?”

I roll my eyes. “Asami is here to mend her relationship with Ikuya.”

Hana squeals. “I saw her life as she fell and cried at the charity event, then a few fan made videos of her singing and playing the piano in a restaurant in Barcelona. I knew it! I told you they’ll get back together.”

I snort. “As far as I know, they’re not actually back together yet…”

Hana pauses. “What?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, I did my part, the rest is up to them.”

My girlfriend smiles. “I’m so proud of you, Hiyori. You’re such a good friend to them.”

I clear my voice, looking away as I feel my cheeks warm up. “So, how come you’re home?”

“I took the day off,” the brunette replies, without commenting on my abrupt change of subject.

“Do you feel sick or something?” I ask, suddenly worried.

Hanabi looks a little guilty. “You know that boy’s love manga I’ve been reading for a few years, right?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, I know, unfortunately. Weirdo.”

“Well…I pretended to be sick today so I could stay home and read it,” she replies, wincing.

I pass a hand over my face. “Why am I not surprised. Hanabi, I was actually worried about you!”

The brunette chuckles. “I know, I’m sorry! I only do this once a year, you know, so I’m not that bad.”

“I miss you so much,” I suddenly tell her. “You and your cute little quirks.”

Hanabi blushes as she pushes a strand of her behind her ear. “I miss you, too. But we’ll see each other in a week, so…”

I raise an eyebrow. “I’m not coming home in a week, I’m going to Seoul.”

“Well, this might be a good time to tell you that my aunt, my father’s younger sister, is living in Seoul and she agreed to let me stay for a while. Also, I can speak Korean fluently thanks to her,” Hanabi boasts, grinning.

“You’re joking!” I exclaim in disbelief. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she mutters, looking down. “But then you told me you missed me and turned me into pudding and I spilled the beans!”

“I love you, weirdo,” I tell her, enjoying the deep crimson of her cheeks.

“Good morning, lovebirds!” Asami yells as she wraps her arms around my neck.

My soul almost leaves my body that instant and I know I’m only capable of bawling my eyes out as I gasp. Hanabi starts laughing hysterically and drops the phone, so the only thing we see for the next few seconds is Sushi’s face up close as she sniffs the display.

“Asami, why?” I ask, my voice a quiet whisper as I press a hand over my heart.  
“Good morning,” Ikuya says as he stifles a yawn. He’s shirtless and half asleep and his pants look like they will fall of his hips any second now.

“Asami, off,” I order, pushing her arms away. “Ikuya, clothes. Hanabi, stop laughing.”

“Come on, I’m treating you to breakfast,” Asami says, grinning. “To thank you for giving up your room these past few days.”

“I didn’t give up willingly, just so you know,” I comment, frowning.

“I see, you’ll make my pockets hurt,” she tells me, smiling and I roll my eyes.

“If you think I’ll stoop to that level, then you’re absolutely right,” I reply, ignoring my girlfriend as she gives me a thumbs up.

“So, are you two back together?” Hanabi asks Ikuya as he walks behind me.

“No,” he mutters, without looking at her.

Asami’s smile falters for a second, but she regains control of her facial expression in no time. Ikuya watches her, disappointment visible on his face as he shakes his head. He walks into the kitchen and I turn my head to look at the figure skater, but she does her best to avoid my eyes.

Like I said, their fucking problem, not mine.

“Anyways, it was good talking to you, love,” Hanabi says, trying to hide her embarrassment at the earlier scene. “See you in Seoul,” she adds, blowing me a kiss.

I nod and end the video call, then go take a shower. I need to change into something more appropriate than a hoodie and sweatpants.

~~~~~~~~~~

Asami excuses herself, getting up from the table and going outside so she can talk with her coach in peace. I turn to look at Ikuya, who’s calmly drinking his tea, as if he hasn’t been purposely ignoring the brunette the whole time we’ve been here.

I’m sick of small talk.

“What are you doing?” I ask, patiently waiting for him to finish his tea.

Ikuya eventually places his cup on the table, sighing. “Trying to force her out of her annoying habit of pretending everything is okay. It’s like a therapy thing.”

I blink, pausing as I process his words.

“What the fuck?” I eventually say and he starts laughing.

“You must have noticed that she pretends everything is perfectly fine, even if it isn’t,” he explains. “I don’t want to let her play me. This time, I’m in control.”

“Isn’t it a little bit…extreme?”

He shrugs. “It’s not like I’ve forgiven her for hurting me, you know. I need to think about it more, use my head, not my heart, because…”

Ikuya stops talking as he stares at something over my shoulder. I turn around to see Asami smiling and talking with a Spanish young man who looks to be our age. He’s handing her something and it turns out to be her phone.

My best friend foams at the mouth, probably imagining the worst as he gets up from the table and makes his way over to them. I widen my eyes as I see Ikuya, kind and gentle Ikuya, grab the man’s shoulder and shove him away.

“Don’t touch her, don’t talk to her, that’s my girlfriend!” he growls in English, with a heavy accent. 

My teal haired friend then yanks Asami’s arm and starts dragging her back to our table. I almost lose it as I watch them, Ikuya mad with jealousy and the brunette grinning so wide her cheeks might get torn.

“What was that about?” he inquires, staring at her.

“You called me your girlfriend,” she replies, placing both hands on her blushed cheeks.

I slap a hand over my mouth, because the last thing I should do is laugh like a maniac.

Ikuya’s frown disappears, the tension gone as Asami squeals, closing her eyes as she probably relives the moment.

“No, but really. What was he trying to do?” Ikuya insists.

“He accidentally bumped into me and knocked my phone on the ground,” she explains, batting her eyelashes at him. “Can you call me your girlfriend again, please?

“Is this part of the therapy thing, too?” I ask Ikuya, faking innocence.

“Shut up, Hiyori.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I resurface, gasping for air as I grab onto the edge of the pool. I’m the only one left after the training and I smile to myself, because I get the pool all to myself. I push myself and start floating on my back, closing my eyes as I relax.

A sudden noise draws my attention and start to slowly swimming, peaking over the edge of the pool.

I scrunch my face in disgust as I notice Kaede grabbing Haru’s shoulder and slamming him hard against the wall. He leans with an arm above the brunet’s head, grinning like the predator he thinks he is.

Haru tries to swipe at his feet and unbalance him, but Kaede is faster. He kicks Haru’s legs from underneath him, then hits the middle of his back with his elbow. Haru gasps and tries to roll away, but the orange haired swimmer is faster. He straddles the brunet, gripping his hair as he forcefully pulls his head back.

I pull myself out of the water and start yelling at Kaede to let Haru go, when the unthinkable happens.

Asami appears out of nowhere and she looks like she’s lost her mind as she raises one leg and hits Kaede so hard on the side of his face that I’m sure his brain turned to mush.

“I was handling myself,” Haru protests, trying to hide the tears in his eyes.

I approach him, offering him a hand as I help him on his feet, then we’re both watching Asami as she slowly approaches Kaede. She stops in her tracks, though, because someone starts yelling at us.

“Oi, what the hell are you kids doing?”

Me and Haru both freeze, because the one yelling at us right now is Kishimoto – sensei, the most ruthless coach. He’ll skin us alive and we know it.

“We were just fooling around,” the orange haired swimmer says, laughing. “I apologize for making a fuss, Kishimoto – sensei.”

Asami cracks her knuckles, sighing in disappointment. She was clearly not done with him, but it’s probably for the best. Kaede will be sporting a huge bruise on his face anyways.

“I think I’ve seen you before,” Kishimoto – sensei remarks, squinting his eyes as he looks at Asami.

“I’m a figure skater,” she replies, smiling in her usual business like manner.

“Ah, yes, my daughter loves watching your events,” he says, hitting his palm with his other fist as he remembers.

“I can take a photo for her of sign something if you’d like,” she offers, turning her head to us and motioning for us to go.

I nod, grabbing Haru’s arm and start dragging him after me as we make our way to the locker rooms.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I offer, but Haru shakes his head, so I don’t press him any further.

We almost bump into Ikuya, who came looking for us.

“Why are you late?” he asks.

“Why aren’t you at the airport? Why is Asami still here?” I ask, ignoring his question.

“Her flight got postponed, it’s rescheduled for tomorrow morning,” he replies. “I knew you were still at the pool, considering you weren’t answering your phone, so we came here to pick you up on our way to the hotel,” he replies, brushing a hand through his teal hair. 

“My, my, all the little mermaids are here,” Kaede comments as he walks past us.

“I suggest you keep that mouth shut before I kick your teeth off,” Asami informs him cheerfully, as she appears from behind him. “Haru, I’m sleeping in your room tonight. My flight got delayed for tomorrow morning.”

“I said I’m fine,” he complains, but doesn’t pull away when his sister grabs his hand.

“Asami kicked Kaede in the face when she saw him wrestling with Haru,” I explain and Ikuya widens his eyes.

“Ah, I see,” he says, turning his cold eyes to Asami. “So Wei taught you how to fight, right?”

“It comes in handy, okay?” she says. “Are you going to shove him and yell that I’m your girlfriend, too?” Asami asks, with sparkling eyes.

I gag audibly and she starts laughing. A pack of weirdos, all of them.


	47. Haru's POV

It’s been a week since Kaede joined the freestyle training camp. He is always watching me and it’s unsettling. I shudder every time I make eye contact with him in a mirror and he grins at me like he’s the predator and I’m the prey.

His left side of the face is bruised, but when asked, he laughed and pretended to be embarrassed as he said that he’s so clumsy.

“I hit my head so hard against the door that I saw stars,” he said, laughing along with the others. “Serves me right for always being with my eyes glued to my phone.”

I sigh as I let myself drop on my bed and swing an arm over my face, covering my eyes. Today, at least, I get to have a break from that asshole, because he’s out with some friends.

I just got out of the shower, my hair is still damp and I know I should put some clothes on, because I might catch a cold wearing only that tiny towel. I’m so tired, though. Today’s training was especially hard. Breathless fifty after breathless fifty, then a freestyle relay.

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I’m awake now. I gasp as I feel someone’s tongue move slowly from my stomach up. 

I start to get up, but Kaede grabs my hands and pins my wrists down above my head. 

“If I knew what a delicious sight awaited me in our room, I would’ve skipped going out tonight,” he says, licking his lips.

“Get off me,” I tell him calmly. I don’t want to struggle and give him satisfaction. We both know he’s stronger than me.

“Why would I?” he asks, grinning and I shiver. “We’re finally alone, the two of us. Don’t tell me you’re not the least bit curious to feel inside of you,” he adds, slipping his hand underneath my towel.

“Not at all,” I reply, raising one leg suddenly and shoving him away. “Stop bothering me, Kinjou. I don’t want to embarrass the both of us and require another room.”

“That’s what your boyfriend asked you to do in the first place, right?” he inquires, settling comfortably on my bed. “There’s a reason you didn’t do it and that’s exactly why I won’t leave you alone.”

I enter the bathroom, slamming the door after me. I lean with my back against the wood, suddenly doubting myself. Why didn’t I listen to Rin and let my fucking pride get the better of me?

I almost bang my head against the door when a tiny little thought pops up in my head. I wonder, do I somehow like the attention I’m getting from Kaede? That’s impossible, I love Rin.

My eyes suddenly fill with tears. I wish Rin were here.

I wipe at my eyes when I hear my hateful roommate’s sarcastic voice as he’s speaking with someone. I crack the door open, my stomach dropping when I recognize Rin’s voice.

I make my way into the room, almost losing my mind as I see Kaede talking with Rin, on my phone.

“Don’t fret so much, Rin, he’s just taking a shower…oh look, he’s here,” he finishes up as he hands me the phone. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, Haru – chan,” he adds, grinning as he makes his way to the bathroom.

I take the phone, my boyfriend’s grim face greeting me.

“Haru, I expected you to be staying with Hiyori and Ikuya,” he begins, shaking his head. “I never would’ve imagined, not even in my darkest nightmares, that…”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” I interrupt, suddenly angry. “Don’t you dare accuse me of anything, when you clearly know I’ve loved you for years.”

“Then what am I supposed to think, when Kinjou answers your fucking phone, naked and you’re in the shower?”

I blink, confused. I was so angry with Kaede that he answered my phone that I didn’t even notice he was naked.

“I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful next time,” I mutter, but the redhead takes it the wrong way.

“You’ll make sure I don’t catch you or what? Haru, I can’t believe you just said that,” he snaps, then ends the video call.

I try to call him multiple times, but Rin doesn’t answer. I can’t breathe properly as I drop my phone on the floor and my vision is blurry. 

I angrily make my way to the bathroom, kicking the door open. Kaede turns to me, completely naked as he keeps showering.

“Trouble in paradise?” he mocks me.

“What the fuck did you tell him?”

He shrugs. “You shouldn’t be angry with me, you know, Haru? If he chose to believe my blatant lies, don’t you think he was waiting for something like this?”

I take a step back, dumbfounded. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on, Haru. I just heard you tell him you’ve loved him for years, which only means it took him years to finally acknowledge you. He probably got bored already,” he explains, closing his eyes as he starts to wash his orange hair. 

I try not to let his words get to me as I leave the bathroom. I hear him talking to me still, but I don’t understand his words. It’s like we’re not speaking the same language. I put on some sweatpants and a hoodie, then take my phone and access card and go.

I make my way to the indoor hotel pool and sit on the edge, watching the water. I know I’m not allowed to swim, since it’s so late at night, but only looking at the soft ripples calms me.

I realize I’m crying when I lean forward and a few drops fall into the pool. It feels impossible, losing Rin for a reason so stupid as this one. If only I just moved to another room, if only I just kept Kaede at a safe distance…

I bring my knees up and rest my forehead on them as I keep replaying Kaede’s words in my head. Maybe Rin got bored because he doesn’t really love me. Maybe I’m the only one that has true feelings.

I slap a hand over my mouth, muffling my sobs. How can I be so stupid as to even consider that fucker’s words? He’s only trying to get into my head.

It’s past midnight when my phone starts vibrating. My heart skips a beat when I see the video call from Rin and I answer it, my hands trembling.

“Rin, I…” I begin, but he cuts me off.

“Haru, I’m so sorry,” he says, rubbing his eyes. “I won’t even try to justify my actions, my jealousy and insecurities have nothing to do with you.”

“What insecurities?” I ask, confused.

He pauses, then brushes a hand through his crimson hair. “Sometimes I forget how clueless you actually are.”

“I’m not clueless,” I retort, frowning. “I just overlook unimportant things and focus on the more important ones.”

Rin nods, squinting his eyes. “I’ve made you cry, Haru. I’m so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing…”

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry and I should be. Instead of supporting you, since you’re the better swimmer and there’s more pressure on you, I…”

“What are you talking about?” I intervene. “Why am I the better swimmer?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Gold Medals. Why do you think?” he mocks me, rolling his eyes. However, it takes him one second to realize he practically admitted to being jealous and he widens his eyes. “Haru, I didn’t mean to…”

“Rin.”

He purses his lips and looks at me, a worried expression on his face.

“You know I only swim free,” I point out.

Rin’s mouth drops open and after a few seconds, he starts laughing. He’s so loud that I decide to turn down the volume of my phone.

“I feel so ashamed right now,” he tells me, wiping a tear. 

“I don’t care about gold medals or other people,” I whisper and his face turns serious. “All I want is to be able to swim free with you, Rin.”

His eyes tear up. “Haru, I’m so sorry I doubted you. I’m sorry for upsetting you and making you cry.”

I push one hand in the swimming pool, enjoying the cool feel of the water against my skin.

“I love you,” I say. “That’s not going to change, no matter what.”

He nods, wiping his tears away. “I love you, too, Haru.” Rin pauses, then angrily runs his fingers through his hair. “Instead of arguing with you, I could’ve been making love to you right now.”

I blush, looking around. “Rin, what the hell!”

He starts laughing again. “I thought you were alone.”

“I think I am, but you never know,” I reply, sighing. “I know how important making the Olympic team is for you, Rin, I wouldn’t forgive myself if you were caught up in any scandal.”

Rin’s face pales and he looks away. “What if I told you that I don’t care anymore?”

“What does that mean?”

“That I’m okay with making our relationship public. No more hiding, no more pretending…what could happen?”

I shake my head. “Think about it again, okay?”

“Doesn’t it bother you, though?” he asks me, frowning.

It’s my turn to pause and carefully consider my response. “Are you asking me if I would like to go on public dates with you and let you kiss me or hug me somewhere everyone would see us? That would be fucking fantastic, Rin, but I’m worried you’ll end up regretting it. The people important to us already know. That’s enough for me.”

Rin nods, a small smile curving his lips. “Yes, Haru,” he says, unconvincingly. “You’re right.”

I raise an eyebrow and open my mouth to question him, but Rin changes the subject. He says his roommate woke up and he’s making a fuss about the noise, so we have to end the call.

“I thought that would never end.”

I flinch when I hear Kaede’s voice, but refrain from turning around. When he sees I’m not moving from my spot, he decides to come closer. He sits on the edge of the pool next to me, then slips his fingers in the cool water.

“So, you kissed and made up?” he mocks me, chuckling. “That was fast. You looked like the world was ending earlier, when he hung up on you.”

“You need to stop harassing people, Kaede,” I tell him. “You have nothing to gain from it, except hatred from other people.”

“Why ask for kindness? Hatred is everything people offer you, anyways,” he replies, waving a hand in dismissal. “Not all of us have the luxury to be Nanase Haruka.”

I raise an eyebrow and he sighs.

“You’re cold towards people, yet everyone seems to be attracted to you. Your sister is obsessed with you and you can’t tell me otherwise, she slept in your bed and hugged you the whole night,” he says, talking about the last night Asami spent in Barcelona. “Then, we have Ikuya, who gave up swimming medley relays altogether because he thought you forgot about him, your friends back home…and then there’s Rin, struggling to juggle his love for you and his jealousy because you’re better than him.”

Kaede leans closer to me, cupping my face with both his palms as he stares into my eyes.

“So I thought,” he continues, “that if I consume you whole, I’ll have a taste of what being loved by everyone is like.”

I’m left dumbfounded by his confession. I don’t know what to reply. I grip his wrist when he moves closer to me and he lets go, chuckling.

“Let’s have a race, Haru,” he offers, getting up.“The winner controls the loser for the rest of the training camp.”

“No.”

“Come on, it will be fun. Might as well settle it once and for all, rather than playing cat and mouse forever.”

I swallow hard, knowing there’s no other way. I get up as well, remembering I don’t have my swimming suit on, when Kaede throws it into my arms.

”I’ll call an Uber,” he says, grinning.

Since it’s so late at night, it takes us only a few minutes to reach the swimming center we train at during the day. 

“50 m free,” Kaede tells me after we’re both changed and standing on our respective starting blocks.

The orange haired man sets up a timer, then places his phone down. We both take our positions, diving at the same time when we hear the whistle. I hold my breath, relying on the cool water to help me, despite being so tired.

I haven’t even swum half of the race when I feel like my head will explode. My coach told me to rest, since I trained so hard that I even skipped lunch. I was also so tired that I fell asleep, instead of having dinner.

I realize something is wrong when I stop feeling the water around me. I feel as if I’m swimming through the cold, dark void.

The last thing I remember is touching the wall with the tips of my fingers before darkness engulfs me.

~~~~~~~~~~

Someone is shaking me and calling my name. A sudden slap across my face wakes me up and I get up in a sitting position, coughing and gasping for air.

“Haru, what the fuck!” Kaede yells at me. “I was ready to ask for two wins out of three races, when you fucking sunk, what the hell is wrong with you?”

I pass a hand over my face, wincing. I have a monstrous headache and I can barely move my head.

“You’re too loud,” I protest, pushing Kaede away.

I rub at my forehead, and the orange haired man grabs my shoulder. “You’re not dying, are you? Because I don’t know how to cover up such a big shit.”

Kaede shakes his head, folding his arms. “I can’t believe you raced me half dead and you still won with your fucking breathless technique.”

I look at him in disbelief. “Did I actually win?”

He slaps at his forehead. “Ah, fuck, I should’ve told you I won, since you clearly don’t remember it. Also, I might have given you mouth to mouth resuscitation.”

I grimace and he grins. “The french type.”

“You’re disgusting, Kaede.”

He shrugs. “Anyways, a deal is a deal. So, master, what would you have this slave do?” he asks me, licking his lips as he looks at my crotch for a second.

“How about you stop making me and others uncomfortable? You know, no more harassing people.”

Kaede lets out the loudest sigh he could muster. “If I leave you alone, will you stay as my roommate?”

I nod, sighing as well. “I told you, I don’t want to make a public fuss about it.”

The orange haired man grins in his usual predatory way and it sends a shiver down my spine. However, he only pushes his hand towards me.

“A deal is a deal. I will stop attacking you, if that’s what you want.”

I grab his hands, shaking it for a few seconds. Kaede gets up, helping me up as well and wrapping an arm around my waist.

“What are you doing?” I ask, frowning.

“Helping you up, what does it look like? I’m not in the mood to clean up your blood if you fall and crack your head open.”

I shake my head, sighing. I’ll let this one thing slide, because I’m sure as hell I didn’t actually win the race.


	48. Asami's POV

Ikuya promised me he would call me this morning. However, my hair and make up are done, the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow has already started. I’m wearing one of the simple, black costumes I always put on during warm up sessions, because I’m paranoid about falling and ruining my costume before my main event.

I asked Ikuya to call me because I’m nervous about this event. I made a fool of myself in Canada, regardless of Ritsu’s reassurances.

Speaking of the devil. My coach appears right beside me, swinging an arm over my shoulders. “I love this costume.”

I snort. “I wonder why.”

Ritsu lifts his palm, motioning for me to hand him my phone. “The practice session is about to start, Asami. What are you doing with this?” He shakes his head. “Don’t tell me you’re still checking the comments on those videos. I told you, darling, it’s not that bad, people know you have a heart in there.”

I roll my eyes and he adds “However hard that might be to believe. Anyways, go out there and play nice with the other girls,” Ritsu tells me as he places both hands on my back and pushes me onto the rink.

I mutter some curses under my breath, before I plaster a perfect smile on my face and wave to my fans as I leisurely slide around. All I can think about is Ikuya, though. I’m scared he’s changed his mind, since I got to spend so little time with him in Barcelona. I hate being so insecure, I’m not used to it. 

I’m violently pulled from my thoughts by a hard hit in my stomach. I gasp, my vision darkening around the edges as I fall, hitting my head hard on the ice. I curl in a fetal position, taking sharp intakes of breath as I wrap my arms around myself. 

I manage to roll on my back as the pain in my stomach slowly subsides and I realize there’s a burning pain in my left calf as well. I must have crashed into someone, considering how out of it I was during the warm up session. 

The medical team eventually gets to me and they carefully help me roll around, so I can get up on my hands and knees. I feel dizzy as I raise my head, noticing Elizabeth getting up as well. She grins at me for a second and she appears unscathed as the medical teams helps her up.

“Can you stand?” a man asks me.

I don’t reply as I start to get up, ignoring the burning pain in my left calf and the dizziness that threatens to send me back down on the ice if I move too fast. 

Something warm trickles down the side of my head. I touch my face, my fingers smeared with blood as I hold my hand in front of me. I’m afraid to look down and see what happened to my leg, because I’m sure I’ll lose my footing.

“I’m okay,” I mutter to the medical team, then start to slowly slide to the edge of the rink.

I almost fall when I reach the rink wall, but Ritsu takes a few steps on the ice and catches me.

“Gods above, Asami,” he says, his face pale and eyes wide. “You’re covered in blood.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” I reply, letting out a relieved sigh when he pulls me up into his arms and I don’t have to stand anymore.

I close my eyes, trying to will my headache away as Ritsu carries me into the locker rooms, away from all the noise. He gently places me on a chair, then goes to bring another while the medical team surrounds me.

Long story short, I’ve hit my head hard enough to worry the medics and get them to advice my coach to take me to the hospital to get it checked out. I also have a bruise the size of Russia on my abdomen and a 10 cm slash on my left calf caused by Elizabeth’s skate. According to Ritsu, I was aimlessly skating and Elizabeth performed a jump so close to me that she crashed hard into me when she landed, hence the cut on my leg.

The blonde bitch did it on purpose, apparently, but it’s no use making a fuss about it. She’s resting as well, because she fainted from the shock. Mhm hmm, sure.

“I advise you to withdraw and go to the hospital,” a medic tells me, while another is wrapping a bandage around my calf.

“I hope you won’t bandage my head the same way,” I comment, wincing when a nurse cleans the wound on my temple with something that stings. “Just put something small on it, so I can redo my hair and cover it,” I add, making the medic from earlier shake his head.

“You’re skating anyways?” Ritsu asks me, folding his arms. “Do you want my advice?”

“Nope,” I reply, getting up as soon as the medical team finishes patching me up.

I sway on my feet and my coach and the medic catch my arms, steadying me. I rub the bridge of my nose, sighing.

“Give her something strong for the pain,” Ritsu says.

“That’s highly…” the medic starts complaining.

“Thank you for your help,” my coach cuts him off, wrapping an arm around me to support me. “I’ll take her to the hospital as soon as she finishes her short program.”

I nod when a woman hands me two pills and a glass of water. “Take one now and one before your short program,” she tells me, smiling and patting my shoulder. “Good luck, sweetie. Be careful not to fall during your skate, we don’t want to hit your head again.”

With Ritsu’s arm still around me, we start to slowly make our way to my waiting room. I need help putting my costume on.

I shudder when I sit down in front of the mirror and see all the blood and smudged make up on my face.

“Close your eyes,” Ritsu instructs me as he sits down in front of me, armed with a pack of cleansing wipes. “I’ll pull up your hair in a messy side bun,” he adds as he starts to gently clean my face.

We hear a soft knock on the door and Ritsu yells at the person to come inside. He audibly grits his teeth as the annoying voice of Elizabeth says “Honey, are you okay? I’m so sorry…”

“Get the fuck out,” I snap, without opening my eyes. “I need to get ready.”

“You’re still skating?” she asks me in disbelief. “But, Asami, you’re hurt…”

“Not what you wanted, right?” I provoke her, opening my eyes and turning my head to look at her.

“I don’t know what you mean, it was just an accident,” she murmurs, faking innocence.

My stomach tightens as I remember her using the exact tone of voice as she lists all your flaws and shortcomings, with a smile so cold that it could freeze Hell.

“Get out,” I repeat, my eyes settled on hers.

Her eyes fill with tears and she leaves, slamming the door behind her, but I know she’s laughing inside. Elizabeth is a bully and she’ll always be one, but I honestly thought she would only use painful words.

“Ritsu!” I exclaim, suddenly remembering. “Haru, my parents…I’m sure they were watching the live of the Rostelecom Cup, they must be worried!”

“I texted your brother while the medical teams was tending to you, I told him you were fine for now,” he says and I let out a relieved sigh. “I’ll call your parents, if you want me to.”

“No, I’m sure mom has already called Haru.” 

I bite my bottom lip, thinking about Ikuya, but I don’t want to ask Ritsu to call him. 

“Here,” my coach says, handing me my phone. “It was buzzing like crazy earlier.”

The brunet moves behind me as he starts to carefully brush my hair and rapidly gather the long strands into a messy side bun.

I unlock my phone, almost tearing up when I see all the missed calls from Haru, my parents, Sayuri…and Ikuya. With shaking hands, I text him a short message, telling him I’m okay and that I’ll still be able to skate.

“Done,” Ritsu says, placing both hands on my shoulders. “Stay here and rest and I’ll come get you when it’s your turn to skate, okay?”

I nod and he pats my shoulders one more time.

It doesn’t take long until it’s my turn to skate, however. I take a deep breath, letting go of Ritsu’s hands as I step onto the ice and start gliding, raising my arms to greet the public. My fans are yelling and cheering for me, so I smile, bowing to them and waving as I try hard to cover my trembling hands. My whole body is shaking in fear,actually.

I’m scared to skate, for fuck’s sake. I’m still dizzy and my leg hurts when I put my weight on it, how the hell am I supposed to remember to land on the right one always? I’ve never had to think about it before.

I crouch, gasping in pain as I stretch my arms elegantly, getting ready for my short skate. The music starts and I spin as I get up, sliding around faster and faster as I prepare myself for the triple Loop I’m supposed to perform.

My teeth clatter as I fall, but I place a hand on the ice and push myself upright, as if nothing happened. I almost start laughing right then, in the middle of my performance, because the very thing that terrified me earlier just happened and I’m fine. I’m okay.

I fall again when I attempt the triple Salchow and this time, it takes me longer to get up. Bloody hell, I can almost feel the gold medal slipping away.

How I wish Ikuya was here to cheer for me and hug me when this is over.

I grit my teeth, remembering I’ve left the sobbing bitch back in Barcelona and I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. My leg hurts, but it’s not that bad, considering the painkillers I’ve taken. Thankfully, my pants are black so there’s no sigh of blood.

I move on with the program, performing a Combo Spin using my right leg, so I can rest the left one, even for a few seconds, then start skating fast again, getting ready for another jump.

The public cheers loudly for me as I land my third jump, a double Lutz. Optimistic about myself, I try again with a triple Loop. I trip a little, missing a few points, but at least I didn’t fall this time.

I give myself a boost of courage by performing the step sequence perfectly, then shock my audience with a perfectly executed triple Toeloop, single Euler, triple Flip combination.

I don’t know how, but I manage to perform all the elements I was supposed to during my short program, almost tripping over my own feet as I finish it. I’m panting, harder than usual and my left leg hurts so much my eyes are tearing up, but I feel so happy.

For the first time in a long while, I remembered what it was like to fight hard for something.

I skate back to Ritsu, who’s waiting for me with open arms. He pulls me in a tight hug, praising me and lecturing me at the same time, so I start laughing.

“I did well, didn’t I?” I ask, with tears in my eyes.

“It was painful to watch in the beginning,” he replies, shaking his head. “You’re so strong, Asami, to be able to pull through. I’m very proud of you.”

Ritsu smiles, wiping my tears away with his thumbs.

“Now let’s get you to a hospital.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late with the chapter :(   
> To make up for it, a quick sneak peek: the next two chapters, that I hope to write tomorrow, are with Ikuya's POV and Hiyori's POV xD


	49. Ikuya's POV

I wake up abruptly and immediately start searching frantically for my phone. I made the mistake of closing my alarm and trusting myself not to fall asleep right after.

I curse under my breath when I see the two missed calls from Asami, then swear again when I check the time. It’s too late to call her, the event has already started.

I almost drop my phone when the door slams open and Haru comes inside, holding his laptop.

“Were you sleeping?” he asks me, frowning.

“I overslept,” I admit, looking down. “Did I miss her short program?”

“Why are you so loud?” Hiyori growls as he gets up, his hair tangled and standing up in different directions. “I stayed up late packing my bags,” he mutters, yawning.

“A blonde bitched knocked her over,” Haru tells me as he plops on my bed. “My sister cracked her head open. Neither she, nor her couch answer their damn phones.”

My mouth drops open and the brunet turns the laptop towards me to show me what happened to Asami. Curious as well, Hiyori moves from his bed to mine, dropping his head on my shoulder as he stifles another yawn.

I play the video, watching angrily how the blonde skater jumps too close to Asami, crashing into her as she lands. They both fall, but while the blonde skater gets up in a sitting position almost immediately, Asami curls in a fetal position, barely able to breathe. The video cuts to other skaters after the medical team swarm Asami and the other girl.

“She’s not answering her phone,” Haru says when I grab mine and try to call her. “I’ll try…”

His phone suddenly starts vibrating and he snatches it, reading the message. He lets out a relieved sigh, then raises his head.

“She’s fine,” he tells me. “Her coach texted me. She’s going to skate anyways.”

“What the fuck, is she crazy?” Hiyori exclaims. 

I shake my head. “Haru, text him back and ask him to stop her.”

He shrugs. “It’s not his decision, Ikuya. If she wants to skate, she’ll do it, regardless of what other people tell her.”

I take my phone and immediately start looking for flights to Moscow. Asami told me she was going to stay for over a month in Moscow to train for the Grand Prix Final, because she was sure she’ll advance. Now that she got hurt, she might have to either withdraw during the free skate because her injuries worsen or skate anyways and lose.

“Ikuya, don’t be reckless…” Hiyori lets out a deep sigh when I finish reserving the flight. “Never mind.”

“What?” Haru asks.

“I’m going to Moscow tomorrow, I don’t want to leave her alone,” I reply, placing my phone on the nightstand.

The brunet smiles. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

The door opens again, this time Kaede making his way inside. He’s holding two cups of coffee from Starbucks and he strolls inside as if he owns the place. The orange haired man offers Haru one of the cups, before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Good morning, mermaids,” he says, grinning. “What are you watching?” he asks, trying to slip his hand underneath Haru’s T shirt.

The brunet slaps his hand away. “Rostelecom Cup.”

“Ah, boring. Nice hair, Hiyori – chan,” Kaede comments, chuckling. “Ikuya was rough to you last night?”

Haru passes a hand over his face and Hiyori gets up in a sitting position. “What are you doing here, Kinjou?”

“Haru – chan asked me to buy him a cup of coffee and since he wasn’t waiting for me in our bed, I decided to search for him.”

Haru looks up at the ceiling. “On second thoughts, I’ll fly to Moscow, too.”

Kaede snorts, getting up. “Our deal drops if you do that, Haru,” he says, before taking his leave, without closing the door after him.

I get up as well, both to close the door and bring two bottles of water for me and Hiyori. I open mine, taking a sip, when my best friend asks “Haru, are you sleeping with him for coffee?”

I choke with my water and the brunet almost suffocates with coffee. He coughs a few times, his face crimson, then wipes at his lips with the back of his hand.

“No,” he replies.

“Oh, look, it’s starting,” I remark, changing the subject.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Kirishima, pull yourself together,” the coach tells me, shaking his head.

Watching Asami fall twice and trip during her short program was painful and I can’t stop thinking about it, so it reflects on my swimming. However, instead of explaining myself, I just nod.

I grab onto the edge of the pool, pulling myself out of the water when another coach motions for us to gather around him. Hiyori looks at me, worried about my well being, so Kaede stretches his leg, tripping him. The orange haired idiot barely contains his laughter as the auburn haired swimmer grabs onto the shoulders of a Chinese swimmer, both falling over the coach and bringing him down as well.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask him, angrily making my way towards him.

I stop right in front of him, clenching my fists, but Haru steps in between us.

“Stop acting like a scum,” he tells Kaede, frowning at him.

The orange haired man chuckles. “That was a soft prank, boys. Don’t act like he died or something.”

“We’re having a freestyle relay, guys,” the coach says, clearing his voice in embarrassment after he gets up. “Kinjou, Toono and Kirishima are the captains, choose your teammates wisely. The last team cleans locker rooms. The captains of the first two teams will race in an Individual Medley. The loser’s team cleans the pool today.”

A collective groan is heard, but the coach silences us.

“That’ll teach you to stop with the childish pranks,” the coach mutters, taking a few steps back. “You have five minutes to decide.”

“Haruka,” Kaede and Hiyori call at the same time.

My best friend squints his eyes at Kinjou. “He’s with me.”

The orange haired man looks him up and down, smiling sarcastically. “He was with me until this morning, it’s fair enough to keep going, don’t you think?”

Haru, however, walks to my side. “There, it’s settled.”

I can’t help but chuckle when I see Kaede’s frown. Hiyori chuckles as well, so the orange haired swimmer grabs him by the shoulder and aggressively throws him in the pool.

Hiyori resurfaces almost instantly, immediately grabbing onto Kaede’s ankles and pulling him down as well. In contrast with his tough and sarcastic demeanor, Kinjou hits the water with a high pitched yelp.

“Boys, enough,” the coach intervenes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Let’s get started.”

“Might as well declare the winners,” an American swimmer complains. “Having Nanase and Kirishima in the same team is not fair.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass, boy,” the coach replies, taking his whistle. “Take your marks!”

~~~~~~~~~~

I debate between surprising her and actually telling her I bought a flight to Moscow, but eventually decided to video call her. She answers rapidly, smiling. She’s not wearing any make up and she looks exhausted.

“Hey, Ikuya!”

“Asami, how are you?” I ask, wincing at the purple bruise on the right side of her face.

“Better than I look,” she replies, chuckling. “I’ve got stitches on my head! Otherwise, no damage.”

“Your leg?”

“Bandages and I shouldn’t strain it,” she says, snorting. “I have to put in an extra effort tomorrow, in my free skate. I’m in the fourth place right now.”

“About tomorrow…I think I’ll miss your free skate. I have to be somewhere.”

Asami blinks a few times, slightly confused. “Where are you going?”

I pause for a second. “I might have bought a plane ticket for Moscow.”

“Ikuya!” she yells and I almost drop the phone. “You’re coming to see me?”

I start laughing. “I want to see you myself and convince myself you’re actually okay after that scary fall.”

“But…what about the training camp?” she asks, suddenly concerned.

“It’s just a training camp, not the actual competition. I can always go to another, I’m cutting it short, just like Hiyori, but instead of going to another one, I’m coming to see you.”

“I’m so excited,” she murmurs, her cheeks blushing. “I can’t believe you’re coming tomorrow. When’s the flight?”

“Tomorrow at 5 am, I’ll be in Moscow in the evening if all goes well.”

“I can’t wait to sneak you in my hotel room,” she says, placing both palms on her cheeks. Want me to come to the airport to pick you up?”

I shake my head. “No, I’ll be fine. Just text me the address of your hotel, Asami.” I pause, just taking in her beautiful features. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I wrap my arms around Hiyori. “Have a safe flight. Text me when you arrive in Seoul.”

He pats my back. “You, too, Ikuya. Take care of Asami,” he adds, waving at me as he starts walking to the gate.

Hiyori is leaving one hour before I so, so we came together to the airport. I pull out my phone, smiling when I see the text from Asami.

_Have a safe flight, Ikuya. I can’t wait to see you._

_I love you_ , I text her back, then sit on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs until it’s time to leave.

I arrive in the evening, just like I was supposed to. I’m dead tired, since I couldn’t sleep at all because of the excitement of seeing my girlfriend and nervous about her results.

The first thing I do when I’m off the plane is check the results of the Rostelecom Cup. I sigh in relief when I find out that she took silver and had enough points to quialify for the Grand Prix Final.

I manage to catch a taxi soon, then give the driver the address of the hotel Asami and the other skaters are staying at. I realize only when I get there that I forgot to text my girlfriend that I arrived in Moscow, so I start typing as I enter the lobby.

“Hello.”

I press send, then raise my head, instantly recognizing the blonde skater who crashed into Asami.

“I know you,” she says, smiling as she offers me her hand. “I’m Elizabeth.”

I ignore her hand. “How come you know me?”

There’s something wrong with her. Not that she isn’t beautiful, she’s a typical American blonde with blue eyes, pretty like an Instagram model, but she looks cold and cruel.

“I saw some pictures of you in a magazine,” she replies, stepping closer to me. “You’re Ikuya, right?”

I nod and she places her palm on my chest. “Nice to meet you.”

I look down at her, squinting my eyes. “You seem fine.”

She raises an eyebrow. “What?”

Considering you crashed into Asami just yesterday, I would’ve expected you to be at least bruised.”

Elizabeth drops her head on my chest and starts sobbing. “Not you, too! You have no idea how sorry I am for causing her those injuries. I tried to apologize to her, but Asami doesn’t even want to look at me,” she says, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I gently push her away, then notice Asami approaching, wearing a silky black kimono.

“Excuse me,” I mutter, then start walking towards my girlfriend. 

I gently circle her body with my arms, carefully embracing her as I kiss the top of her head.

“You’re finally here,” she says, burying her face in the crook of my neck. “Let’s go, I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

Asami possessively wraps an arm around my waist as we start walking towards her room, giving Elizabeth a dirty look before we exit the lobby.

“I’m sorry I forgot to text you,” I tell her, bending down to kiss the top of her head again. “I was too eager to check the results.”

Asami chuckles. “I cried buckets when I saw my score. Never in my life have I been so happy for a silver medal.”

“I’m happy for you, too. How are you feeling?”

“The wound on my leg reopened, but it will be fine if I just rest for a few days. Thankfully, the Grand Prix Final is more than a month away, I have time to practice the quad Axel,” she replies as she opens the door to her room.

Asami sits on the edge of her bed, smiling at me. “Want me to order some food?”

I nod, grateful, then cup her face and give her a short peck on the lips. “I’ll go take a shower.”

“I want to cuddle with you for five hours,” she yells after me, as I’m making my way to the bathroom.

“I’m down.”


	50. Hiyori's POV

Ikuya fist bumps Haru before he helps him out of the water and I sigh. Just like the American swimmer commented, having Haru and Ikuya on the same team secured their first win. I can’t help but laugh when I see Kaede lecturing his teammates. If he were anchor, like Haru, he would’ve surely changed things, but the coach forced us captains to swim the first leg.

“Don’t expect any help from me, useless shits,” Kinjou mutters, shoving the Chinese swimmer who swam as anchor.

The coach starts clapping, obviously enjoying himself. “Kinjou’s team will clean the locker rooms today. Now let’s see the IM race between Kirishima and Toono.” He blows on his whistle, motioning for us to stand on the starting blocks.

“Sorry, Hiyori,” Ikuya tells me, grinning as he adjusts his goggles before taking his position. “I have to pack my bags tonight, I don’t have time to clean the pool.”

I snort. “I’m leaving tomorrow, too, idiot.”

“Take your marks!” the coach tells us.

We both dive at the same time, cutting through the water like swordfish. I don’t let the thought that Ikuya is better than me distract me as I swim. I have to admit, watching Rin perform the butterfly stroke was the best decision I could ever take, because I realized what I did wrong.

I touch the wall before Ikuya does, switching to backstroke, my specialty. I’ve always been faster than my best friend when it came to back, but still I try not to let my guard down as I switch to breast. Ikuya is a little faster than me and manages to caught up, so I know I’m doomed when we touch the wall at the same time.

The last leg, the freestyle makes the difference. I put all my power behind each stroke, cutting through the water faster than I’ve ever managed, but Ikuya got faster as well.

My teal haired best friend slams his palm against the wall, resurfacing with a loud gasp as his teammates cheer for him. I finish less than two seconds after him, but during a real race, that would probably mean a huge difference.

Ikuya throws his arms around me over the lane rope, laughing. “That was amazing, Hiyori! I can’t believe you had me the first two legs.”

I smile back at him, closing one eye. “The free is where it counts.”

He shakes his head. “When it comes to me, but other people would get intimidated for sure.”

I grab the edge of the pool, pulling myself up and then I help Ikuya out of the water as well. 

“Pool duty is better than cleaning the locker rooms, Captain,” one of my teammates tells me, fist bumping me. “Leave it to me, I had a summer job involving cleaning people’s swimming pools, I know how to do it fast.”

The coach walks closer to us, clapping his hands. “I don’t know about you guys, but I sure as hell enjoyed it. We’ll keep doing this for the remaining time of our training camp, so that everyone gets the chance to be team captain.”

Kaede smirks, his eyes settled on Haru. I shiver, because all I can think about is having to put up with Ji Hoon when I reach Seoul. After the embarrassing encounter I had with him in Kyoto, I’m expecting the worst.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ikuya wraps his arms around me. “Have a safe flight. Text me when you arrive in Seoul.”

I pat his back. “You, too, Ikuya. Take care of Asami,” I add, waving at him as I start walking to the gate.

Somehow, I’m glad they finally worked through their shit and ended up together again. Ikuya is back to his normal self now and that’s all that matters to me.

I pull out my phone, texting Hana that I’m getting on the plane. She’s already in Seoul, settling in her aunt’s apartment and trying to make Sushi become friends with her aunt’s old cat.

I close my phone after I board the plane, getting as comfortable as I can considering how long my stopover flight is going to be. I take one of the books I bought from the airport, a dark fantasy novel recommended by Hanabi, hoping it would entertain me for a good part of the flight.

I just can’t wait to get there.

~~~~~~~~~~

I hug Hana so tight I lift her off the ground.

“I missed your oversized hoodies,” I tell her as I bury my face in the crook of her neck. 

‘I missed your tousled hair,” she replies, chuckling.

I pull away a little, smiling before I press my lips against hers. I bury one hand in her glossy black hair, grabbing the nape of her neck as I angle her head, deepening the kiss.

I rest my forehead against hers after I break the kiss, gently caressing her cheeks with my thumbs. “I missed you so much, love.”

“I love you,” she replies, planting a short peck on my lips. “Let’s go, my aunt let me borrow her car.”

“Nice of her to do that.”

Hana nods. “You’re going to love her, she’s the coolest person ever. She’s a tattoo artist, even Jay Park got a tattoo made by her.”

“I have no idea who Jay Park is, but I’m happy for her,” I reply, laughing when my girlfriend rolls her eyes.

“You need culture, my friend.”

I raise one hand defensively. “I read the dark fantasy books you recommended, weirdo. That’s enough culture for now, don’t you think?”

The brunette shakes her head. “That was just the beginning, love.”

I roll my eyes, sighing as I load my bags into the trunk of the black SUV that belongs to her aunt. 

“Nice car,” I comment as I get in.

Hana groans. “It’s huge, I can barely reach the pedals.”

I barely contain my laughter and she slaps my shoulder. “Don’t laugh at me, Hiyori!”

“It’s not my fault your cute little legs don’t reach the pedals, Hanabi.”

That, of course, earns me another slap.

~~~~~~~~~~

I briefly meet Hanabi’s aunt, Arisu, when we arrive at her apartment. My mouth drops when I see her, not because of her arms completely covered in tattoos, but because she looks so much like Hana, the same upturned nose, same shoulder length glossy black hair and mysterious gray eyes.

“I assume you’re Hiyori,” Arisu says as she puts her shoes on. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have to leave for a few days, I have a special client to attend to,” she explains, picking up a small bag. “I fed the cats tonight, Hana – chan, so just order food for yourselves. Bye, guys!”

“Bye,” I mutter, staring after her.

Hana elbows me in the side, raising an eyebrow as she chuckles. “Stop ogling her, I know she’s pretty.”

I shake my head. “Are you sure she’s your aunt and not your long lost sister or something?”

The brunette throws her head back, laughing. “I know, right? We look alike.”

A loud meow draws my attention and I crouch down, smiling as I see Sushi approaching us.

“Oh, wow, she’s so big,” I comment, picking her up. 

The cat settles comfortably in my arms, immediately starting to purr as I pet her silky fur.

“She’s adorable,” Hana says, petting her head swiftly. “What do you wanna eat, Hiyori? I can draw you a bath and order some food if you’d like.”

“That would be great, thank you. And I’ll eat whatever you want, love.”

I sit on the sofa, Sushi immediately curling in my lap, still purring, then I pull my backpack closer and start rummaging through it.

“Here,” I say, placing a manga box set on the small table in front of me. “I found it at the airport and it said boy’s love on it. I’m sorry in advance if you already have it, but…”

Hana’s loud, piercing yell almost deafens me when she sees the title.

“Babe, you’re the best!” she screams, jumping on the couch and hugging me, almost crushing Sushi, who meows disaprovingly. “This is a collector’s edition, I’m so lucky!”

“I’m glad you liked it. I got some Sangria wine for your aunt from Barcelona,” I add, taking out a bull shaped black glass filled with the famous Spanish wine. “I don’t know if she’s a fan, but…”

“If it’s alcohol, she drinks it,” Hana retorts, waving her hand. “Why are you such a good boyfriend, Hiyori? Where’s the catch?” she teases me, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me multiple times on my lips and cheek.

I blush, which only makes her kiss me more.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Hiyori, the food is here…are you sleeping?”

I wake up abruptly, grabbing onto the edge of the bathtub. “What?”

Hanabi starts laughing as she walks towards me. “Oh, babe, you’re so tired you fell asleep in the bathtub. What if you drowned?” she lectures me, sitting on the edge.

She’s wearing a simple white T shirt and black leggings and she looks so sexy.

“I just had my eyes closed,” I protest and she starts laughing again. “Come on, join me for a few minutes, the water is still hot.”

“But the food is here, it’s going to get cold…”

“Don’t make me pull you in with your clothes still on,” I tease, grabbing her hand.

“Okay, okay,” she replies, laughing.

Hana takes off her T shirt and leggings, barely having time to get rid of her underwear as well before I pull her in the bathtub with me. 

She straddles me and I wrap one arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me as I claim her mouth with mine. I part her legs wider, pushing my hips between them and she moans in my mouth.

I kiss my way down her neck, gently nibbling at the soft skin there. Hana tilts her head back, whimpering softly when I sink my teeth into her shoulder, one of my hands slipping between her legs.

A loud crash scares us both and Hana almost falls over the edge of the bathtub. I wrap both arms around her, holding her and she places her hands on my chest, supporting herself.

“What the hell was that?” I mutter, looking towards the door.

A loud meow answers me and Hana gasps.

“Oh, fuck, the cats,” she exclaims, barely holding her laughter as she starts to get out of the bathtub. “They must have found the food,” she explains as she runs naked out of the bathroom.

I sigh in annoyance, leaning with my head against the edge. Just when things were getting interesting.

“Nana, no! Sushi, give that back!”

I chuckle as I hear Hana’s voice, then I get out of the water, wrapping a towel around me. I grab another one for my girlfriend, then exit the bathroom and make my way towards the living room.

I’ll never be able to forget the sigh of Hana, completely naked and dripping water everywhere as she wrestles with a white fluffy fat cat and a gray kitten over a brown bag with food.


	51. Asami's POV

I left him alone for five minutes. Five minutes, for fuck’s sake! Now, Elizabeth and Tatiana are sitting at our table, openly flirting with him.

Victor showed me all the amazing restaurants in Moscow, so I decided to take Ikuya to my favorite one for lunch. The two blonde bitches must have followed us here, because it only took a five minute bathroom break for them to swarm them.

I grit my teeth as I’m walking towards our table and I have to watch Tatiana slip the tips of her fingers underneath Ikuya’s sleeve.

I clear my voice and grab her wrist. “This seat is taken,” I say, trying hard not to raise my voice.

“Don’t be so selfish, Hebi – chan,” Elizabeth tells me, chuckling. “We just want to join you for lunch. After all, since you two aren’t dating, it would be nice of you to introduce us to your swimmer friend, right?”

Ikuya picks up his glass of water. “We are dating, actually.”

The two girls start laughing as if he told them the funniest of jokes. “Oh, come on, Ikuya. Everybody knows that Asami doesn’t date anyone.”

The teal haired man slams his glass down, with a little too much force and Tatiana flinches. “Really?” he inquires, looking at me for a second.

Thinking she discovered a crack in our relationship, Elizabeth pushes forward. “You should hang out with us more, Ikuya. We’re actually going out tonight, how about we leave Asami to rest her leg, hm?”

“How about you get the fuck up and let her sit if you’re so concerned about her?” he growls. 

Her eyes widen, but then a grin creeps on her face. “So cute,” she comments, looking at me. “You told him you’re in love with him, right? Classical Asami.”

I notice the spark of doubt in Ikuya’s eyes and I panic. “Enough, Elizabeth,” I mutter, grabbing her shoulder.

“Careful, honey,” she teases as she starts to get up. “People are already talking about you crashing into me on purpose.”

My mouth drops. “What?”

“Oh, you know, you were afraid you won’t be able to get a gold medal, considering you were skating against Elizabeth, so you thought to eliminate her like that. Not cool, Asami, even for someone like you,” Tatiana intervenes, getting up as well.

“That’s bullshit, you crashed into me, you whore. You jumped too close to me and aimed for my leg, it’s on video,” I retort, fixing my eyes on Elizabeth. “Enjoy your gold medal for now, Elizabeth. The Grand Prix Final is the one that matters.”

The American skater smiles like a predator. “You never know what might happen. See you at practice tomorrow! Also, Ikuya, I would love to text you the details for tonight, but you forgot to give me your number.”

“Don’t bother,” he replies, his eyes focused on me. “What’s her deal?” he asks me.

I sit down and let out a deep sigh. “She hates everyone, doesn’t have enough confidence in herself and bullies others. Also, I kind of made out with her at the club last year, before I knew who she is, and then I acted like I didn’t know her when we were formally introduced as skaters.”

Ikuya rubs the bridge of his nose. “So that’s why she’s got something against me.”

I shake my head, reaching for his hand across the table. “She’s just using you to get back at me, but you have nothing to worry about.”

“I’m worried about you, you’ve got enough on your plate as it is,” he murmurs, brushing his thumb over my knuckles. “How are you going to train if she’s like this?”

“I’m training with Victor and the others, as usual,” I reply, chuckling. “You should come tomorrow and see all of us, we’re play training tomorrow because of my leg. We’re basically just getting together and gossiping about the Rostelecom Cup.”

Ikuya nods, laughing. “Great.”

“You can skate with me, too.”

He looks horrified. “An amateur on the ice with professionals? No, thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Victor, be more gentle with him,” Yuri yells at his boyfriend, shaking his head.

I wipe a tear away as I can’t stop laughing at poor Ikuya getting dragged around on the ice by Victor. I almost suffocate when the silver haired skater grabs my boyfriend by his waist and lifts him, then starts spinning.

“I can’t believe that whore took your gold medal,” the blond Russian skater comments. “How’s your leg?”

“I’m fine,” I reply, ruffling his hair. “I hit my head too, you know.”

Yura snorts. “Nothing too valuable in it, anyways. Your leg is more important.”

I play shove him and he slides away, grinning. “Think you can catch me, old hag?”

“Now you’ve done it,” I say, still laughing as I start chasing him around the rink.

I haven’t been able to skate for fun, like this, in a long while. Yura is gaining speed, putting some distance between us, so I start gliding faster too.

“Beka, catch him!” I yell at the Kazakh, who shakes his head and laughs.

”Oh, no, Asami, stop!” Ritsu screams after me. “Your leg, think about your leg!”

My coach skates towards me, trying to intercept me, but I avoid him with little effort. Considering we’re on our free time today, he’s got all his piercings back on, including the metal chain connecting his lip piercing to the earring, who dangles comically as he skates after me.

“Please, no more,” Ikuya begs as Victor lifts him again.

Yakov claps his hands twice, loud enough for us to stop fucking around. I click my tongue, because I was getting close to catching Yura, but Ritsu lets out a relieved sigh.

“I forgot I’m a coach,” he says, chuckling. “My blood froze when he did that.”

I grab onto his shoulder, laughing out load. “Good one, Ritsu.”

“Yuri, a magazine wants to do a photo shoot with you,” he informs the blond, waving at him. “Come.”

The Russian skater growls. “It’s my free day!”

“That’s why you’re doing a photo shoot. Don’t make me come get you,” Yakov threatens and Beka looks away, barely keeping himself from laughing.

Yuri mutters some curses under his breath, then slides towards his coach. 

“Finally,” Ikuya murmurs as he slowly skates closer to me. He trips and I reach my hand towards him, preventing him from falling.

“You okay?” I ask, chuckling. “Was Victor too rough with you?”

Ikuya squints his eyes at me. “You think you’re very funny, don’t you?”

My coach chooses that exact moment to throw his arms around our shoulders. “I have a task for you guys.”

“Oh? For the both of us?” I inquire, suddenly curious.

“Mhm hmm. We need to prepare the choreo for the exhibition,” he replies, patting my shoulder. “You also need to rest for a few days, so I think it’s the perfect occasion to look for good music. I’ll choreograph your exhibition skate, but I want to make use of a song that you like. Then, all you need to do is practice it along with the quad Axel. I’m guessing Elizabeth’s little stunt didn’t make you change your mind, right?”

I roll my eyes. “Ugh, that bitch is telling everyone I crashed into her on purpose and it backfired.”

“She’s a darling, as usual,” he comments, chuckling. “It doesn’t matter, anyways. I’ll give you three days, because I have to leave Moscow. Personal business,” he adds, when I open my mouth to pry. Then, he pats Ikuya on the shoulder. “I’m counting on you to keep an eye on Asami.”

“Of course,” my boyfriend replies, smiling.

As soon as Ritsu leaves, I turn to Ikuya and scoff. “Personal business. Did you hear that? He’s visiting his Russian girlfriend, I’m sure of it. The man has girlfriends and boyfriends all around the fucking world, I bet.”

Ikuya starts laughing. “You sound so jealous, Asami.”

I shove him playfully, but I unbalance him, so I reach out to help him. We end up falling and Ikuya lets out a groan as he his back hits the ice and I fall right on top of him.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, barely containing my laughter. “I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did,” he retorts, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I don’t mind the outcome, so…”

“Get a room, you two,” Beka teases us as he crouches next to us. 

And that’s exactly what we do.

~~~~~~~~~~

I throw my head back, moaning as Ikuya pushes into me. He buries his face in the crook of my neck, licking the sensitive skin and I wrap my legs tighter around him.

I reach out my hand to grab my phone and change the song.

“I don’t think this is what your coach had in mind when he asked us to find you a song for the exhibition skate,” he comments, letting out a low moan as he adjusts the rhythm to slow, hard thrusts.

“I believe it’s better…” I reply, my voice breaking into a whimper after a particularly hard thrust. “…this way,” I add, arching my back.

Ikuya wraps his arms around my waist, getting up in a sitting position and bringing me up with him as well. His fingers dig into my hips as he pulls me onto him, his mouth latching onto one of my collarbones.

“Next song,” he says after he is satisfied with the bruise he left on my collarbone.

My head drops on his shoulder, my whole body tensed. The new angle is maddening, I’m close and he keeps thrusting into me.

“Next song, Asami,” Ikuya orders, whispering into my ear before pulling the earlobe between his lips.

He slows his movements, with the intention of driving me crazy, so I sink my teeth into his shoulder before I reach out my hand for the phone.

“Good girl,” he whispers into my ear as he licks the shell.

Ikuya picks up the pace again, thrusting into me harder and faster than before. I throw my head back, moaning shamelessly as he pushes into me. His arms around me are the only thing supporting me.

His rhythm falters when I begin to tighten around him and he buries his face in the crook of my neck, biting me and muffling his own moans.

The waves of pleasure envelope me when he reaches his climax and I yell out his name. Ikuya drops on the bed on his side, pulling me flush against his chest as he kisses my temple, before capturing my lips in a slow kiss.

He rolls on his back and I rest my head on his chest, my hand reaching for the phone.

“Your turn to choose the song,” I tell him, dropping the phone on his abs.

“Later,” he says. “Let’s take a bath.”

“Round two, you mean,” I tease and let out a yelp when he squeezes my butt.

Right then, the next song on the playlist in Spotify starts playing, drawing our attention.

_The stage is set for my people, yeah  
Coming back like a sequel, yeah  
So hot, I’m a fever, yeah  
Like the white wolf  
Gonna make you a believer, yeah. _

We stare at each other for the remaining of the song, twin grins appearing on our faces.

“I can imagine you performing your quads on this,” Ikuya says.

“That’s an excellent idea, love,” I tell him, lowering my head so I can press a kiss to his chest. “Assuming I can land the quad Axel during the Grand Prix Final, it would be cool to perform the exhibition skate with quads only.”

He brushes a hand through my hair, smiling. “There, we have a song. Now can we go take that bath?”

“You don’t have to ask me again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Ikuya and Asami choose:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMXMNfuzJ1g


	52. Hiyori's POV

I grab the edge of the pool and pull myself out of the water, ignoring Ji Hoon’s hand.

“Hiyori, I’m so glad you’re here,” he tells me, forcefully pulling me into his arms. “I’ve waited so long for you to join the training camp, I thought you changed your mind.”

I step back, trying to get him to let go. Something about us hugging, wet from the pool and without clothes on is giving me the creeps.

“Look, I just want to swim and be done with it,” I say, putting some distance between us.

“Don’t be a scaredy - cat, Hiyori, I’m not going to bite, unless you ask me to,” he replies, winking at me. “Is the literature girl still your girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

He smiles. “I’d love to meet her. Is there a chance she’ll come to Seoul? I have so many great places to show you guys. I want to play the guide for you.”

I shake my head. “She’s in Tokyo, she doesn’t have time to come visit me.”

Ji Hoon swings an arm over my shoulders, turning me around to face the pool. “I know when you’re lying, remember that the next time you decide not to tell me truth about cute little Hanabi. Now, let’s see, how about we have some fun and race?”

I don’t know how he found out Hanabi’s name, but I remain quiet. When I arrived at the pool and didn’t see him around, I felt relieved, thinking he was gone already, but I was so wrong.

“The coach wants us to take part in a swimming competition when the training camp is over,” he informs me as he adjusts his swim cap and goggles. “Us Koreans are signed in by default, but you talk to him if you want to take part in it.”

“Yes, thank you,” I reply, polite, but cold. “And no, thank you, no race for me today.”

Ji Hoon grins at me in a way that sends shivers down my spine.

“Suit yourself.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I hate the fact that I’m alone at this training camp and I don’t know anyone but Ji Hoon, but I have to admit, the coaches really know what they’re doing. I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in just a week of training and that’s amazing.

Ji Hoon mostly left me alone this past week, only made some remarks here and there. Today, however, I ran out of luck.

“Hiyori, good morning,” he tells me, smiling like he’s my friend. “Here, I got this for you,” he adds, offering me a Starbucks cup of coffee.

I raise an eyebrow. “Why?”

He shrugs. “Look, I know I’ve been a total asshole in Kyoto and I apologize. I just want us to be friends, is that okay?”

I squint my eyes at him, reluctantly accepting the cup.

“I don’t know what Asami said about me, but she’s prone to exaggeration. All the girls in the figure skating world hate her, you know.”

I snort. “She and my best friend are back together, so badmouthing her isn’t going to earn you points.”

Ji Hoon starts laughing. “You got me. Anyways, enjoy your coffee, I’ll go ahead and change and hopefully, we’ll have that race today. Okay?”

I nod and pull out my phone, scrolling through Instagram as I start drinking the coffee he bought me. I almost die laughing when I come across another picture posted by Asami, with Victor spinning while holding Ikuya above his head. 

I finish the coffee and throw the cup away, then make my way towards a changing room. I decide to take a shower, like usual, but my phone starts vibrating.

“Hey, Hana,” I answer, holding my phone between shoulder and ear as I start unbuttoning my shirt.

“Hey, sorry to call you during training, but can you swing by the pick up point on your way home? A package of mine arrived and I don’t want to go outside today, it’s raining. Pretty please?” she asks me and I can imagine her batting her eyelashes at me.

“Sure,” I reply as I take my shirt off. I’m starting to feel unusually hot, like I have a fever.

“I’ll text you the details,” Hana tells me. “Good luck today!”

“Yeah, thanks,” I mutter, without actually paying attention.

I’m getting hard and I feel like I’m high and I have a fever at the same time. I unbutton my jeans, almost moaning at the relief I feel when I push my pants down. The relief is temporary, however.

Why the fuck do I have a boner, out of nowhere?

A sudden whistle freezes me and I turn my head to the left. Ji Hoon is leaning against the wall, a few feet away from me and he eyes my erection with a smirk.

“Damn,” he comments, grinning as he starts walking towards me. “That worked really fast.”

I take a step back, cursing when my back hits the wall. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

The Korean swimmer presses his forearm on the wall, above my head, leaning closer to me. “Don’t worry your pretty little head.”

He touches me through my underwear and I gasp, then slap a hand over my mouth to muffle any sound. I’m disgusted by him, but my own body is betraying me.

“Don’t do that, let me hear you,” he whispers, gripping my wrist and pulling my hand away.

Ji Hoon slams his mouth onto mine, pushing his tongue between my lips as he slips his free hand into my underwear, grabbing me.

I involuntarily moan into his mouth and it’s clear to me that he spiked my drink with some shit. My body feels a little weak, but still I manage to regain control over it and push Ji Hoon away.

“I’ll break your face if you touch me again,” I threaten him, struggling to pull my pants back up at the same time.

The brunet starts laughing at me. “You don’t look too scary with that huge boner, Hiyori.” He tries to grab me again, but I take him by surprise by shoving him again, this time hard enough to send him to the floor.

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” I ask, my hands shaking as I try to put my shirt. “Leave me the hell alone.”

Ji Hoon lets out a sigh. “I’m just joking with you, Hiyori. Why do you have to take everything so serious? Here, let me help you,” he offers, getting up and reaching his hands towards me.

“Don’t touch me,” I warn him, taking a step back.

He chuckles. “I could show you what you’re missing out,” he yells after me as I rapidly walk away.

I tie the jacket around my hips and call a taxi, impatient to get home.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re home early…wow, what’s that about?” Hana asks, her eyes widening as she comically points to my pants.

“Ji Hoon pretended to apologize today, he bought me a coffee and spiked it,” I explain, dropping on the floor, with my back against the wall.

“What the fuck,” she mutters, kneeling in front of me. “Asami said he was dangerous and that he did something to her Russian friend, but we never got around to asking her to give us more details. So, uhm…how do you feel?”

“Dizzy, feverish and extremely turned on,” I reply, grabbing her hips. “I’m sorry, Hana, I can’t stop myself,” I mutter, pushing her on the floor as I start taking off her leggings.

“Wait, here…? Let’s go to the bedroom,” she tries, her voice breaking when I lower my head between her lips.

Hanabi whimpers when I lick her slit, then push her T shirt up and cover the exposed skin with kisses.

“Just bear with me,” I ask, making space with my hips between her legs before I start to push inside of her.

The brunette tilts her head back, moaning as she grips my shoulders. I start thrusting hard and fast, losing control over my own body.

“Hiyori,” she moans, brushing a hand through my hair.

I finish too fast and I’m far from satisfied. I circle her waist, getting up with her in my arms, then push her against a wall. Hana wraps her legs around my hips and I press my lips against hers, swallowing her moans as I start moving again. Judging by how tenses her whole body is, she’s close, so I pick up the pace, angling her body so I can hit her sweet spot. The brunette throws her head back, yelling loudly as she finds her release, tightening around me and triggering my orgasm as well.

I lost count of how many times I’ve made love to her until we reached the bed. Hana is laying on the bed, face first into the pillow and I bend down to kiss her shoulder. It’s way past noon.

“I don’t think I can go again,” she confesses, her voice muffled by the pillow.

“I think I’m finally okay,” I reply, chuckling.

Hana raises her palm, offering it for a high five and I start laughing, before I touch it with mine.

“You okay?” I ask, kissing her shoulder again, before I pull her in my arms.

“My day was going to be so boring, I realize that now,” she says, turning her face towards mine so she can kiss me. “I planned to watch TV in bed all day, because it was raining. You can come home high on aphrodisiacs any day, Hiyori.”

Hana buries her face in the crook of my neck, letting out a content sigh.

“Want me to draw you a bath?” I ask, kissing the top of her head.

“No, let’s sleep a little,” she murmurs, falling asleep almost as soon as she finishes her sentence.

I, however, can’t sleep. What Ji Hoon did was no innocent prank, spiking people’s drinks with shit is not a normal thing to do. 

I grab my phone and call Asami, after checking the time. It should be morning in Moscow, but not crazy early.

“Hi, Hiyori,” she answers promptly, her voice cheerful. “What’s up?”

“What can you tell me about Ji Hoon?” I ask directly.

“Did something happen?” she inquires, genuinely concerned. “It’s Hiyori,” Asami tells someone, most likely Ikuya.

“Just tell me everything you know about him, I want to know what I’m dealing with.”

The figure skater pauses and I hear her taking a deep breath. “He had a thing for Yura, since he’s so young and looks feminine and delicate. Well, he spiked his drink last, after a photo shoot. Fortunately for my friend, I wanted to prank him and switched our drinks. Yura hates overly sweet drinks and I wanted to make fun of him, but I ended up collapsing on set.”

“So he’s actually crazy,” I mutter, shaking my head. “He used an aphrodisiac on me.”

“I’m so sorry, Hiyori. Are you okay?”

“Don’t ask me that,” I reply, chuckling in embarrassment. “I took care of it.”

A long pause from Asami makes me feel even more embarrassed. 

“Anyways,” I say, changing the subject. “What happened next?”

“Beka filled him with blood when he found out Ji Hoon spiked Yura’s drink, but their coaches settles everything without making a big fuss. I wish I knew more, but that’s where the story ends. I can try to dig up some dirt on him so we can humiliate him as payback. My coach knows a lot of people, maybe he can find something out.”

“I appreciate it, really. Thank, Asami,” I reply. “I’m sorry, I forgot to ask how are you? Are your injuries better?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, having Ikuya with me makes everything better,” she says and I can feel the smile in her voice.

I hear the sound of a kiss and pretend to gag. “Ikuya, knock it off,” I comment.

Asami starts laughing. “I’ll help you, don’t worry. I want to pay my debt anyways.”

“It’s okay,” I tell her. I helped her in Barcelona because I knew it was the best thing for Ikuya as well, anyways. I don’t feel like she’s indebted to me or anything.

“How’s Hana?” she asks.

“Exhausted,” I reply. 

It’s their turn to gag and I start laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, the true villain that makes Kaede look better =)) Ji Hoon is going down!  
> Should I redeem Kaede, though? What is your opinion?


	53. Haru's POV

“It’s Rin, right?”

I raise my head from my phone and stare at Kaede confused.

“Your face lights up every time you get a text from your boyfriend,” my roommate replies, chuckling. ‘Or when you see a new pool. Or when you get to eat mackerel.”

I don’t know when I started thinking about Kaede as my roommate and not the annoying asshole anymore. Well, he’s still somewhat of an asshole to other people, especially when they get on his nerves, but I’ve come to realize he’s actually not that bad. Kaede has a surprising generous side to him, always buying me coffee or food.

I snort. “Sounds like you’re gawking at me all the freaking time.”

He rolls his eyes, then turns the page of his manga. “Did you think about Seoul?”

I let out a sigh. “I’ll go, even though I wanted to go home. Rin will be there as well, so…”

Kaede nods. “I have friends in Seoul, too.”

I perk up immediately, thinking about what my sister told me about Ji Hoon and Hiyori. “What friends?”

The orange haired man stifles a yawn as he closes the book, places it on the nightstand and picks up his phone. “Two former high school classmates of mine that moves to Korea.”

“Any chance you know a Lee Ji Hoon?” I inquire further.

Kaede looks up from his phone and hums. “Hm, the one who holds the record in South Korea for…butterfly?”

I shake my head. “Backstroke.”

“Never mind. I knew I heard about him. Why?”

“He’s going to be there,” I answer evasively.

“So? That’s not your specialty.” Kaede scrolls through his phone for a few seconds, then looks up at me again. “Are you cheating on Rin with this Ji Hoon?”

I slap my forehead hard enough to pop my own eyes out. “For fuck’s sake, Kaede.”

He starts laughing. “Do you want to cheat on Rin with Ji Hoon?”

“No, stop it,” I mutter, picking up my phone to text Asami.

_I don’t think Kaede knows Ji Hoon personally._

_The fuck? When did he become Kaede and not the orange asshole? Are you best buddies now or what?_

_He’s not that bad, Asami. He's just lonely._

There’s a long pause until my sister sends another text.

_Are you guys fucking?_

_I’m done texting you._

_Okay, okay, I’m sorry! How can you be sure he doesn’t know him, though? Someone told Ji Hoon about Hanabi and it’s surely a swimmer and someone who knows her. Kinjou is technically her brother, right?_

_I can’t ask him again without raising suspicion now, can I?_

Kaede surprises me by sitting on the edge of my bed and pressing the tip of his finger between my eyebrows. 

“What made you frown, Haru?”

I look down at my phone as it vibrates again.

_Ikuya says you should ask him about Oda Shinobu, Hana’s real brother. He’s a backstroke swimmer, too._

“Some shit with my sister,” I reply, rolling my eyes. “There’s some bad blood between her boyfriend and another swimmer, Oda Shinobu?”

His eyes widen. “Hanabi’s brother?” Kaede shrugs. “I can’t imagine why, Ikuya and Shinobu have nothing to do with each other, as far as I’m concerned.”

He playfully shoves my shoulder.

“You’re awfully into gossip today, Haru.”

“It’s supposed to be our resting day, but I’m bored,” I tell him, trying to distract him.

“You should have said something earlier,” he replies, chuckling. “Let’s go to the hotel’s pool. The group of school devils left today so it’s surely peace and quiet at the pool.”

“They were kids, Kaede.”

“Yes, devils, same thing.”

Kaede gets up and grabs my swimsuit, throwing it on my bed, before starting to get changed into his.

I text Asami that I’m going to do my best to find out everything I can from my roommate, then start changing as well.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I see you’ve been awfully busy,” Rin teases me on video call after I tell him everything about what happened to Hiyori and Ji Hoon. “I don’t know about Kaede, though. I don’t trust the fucker, I hate that he’s around you so much.”

My boyfriend sighs. “I know you said he didn’t turn out to be such a complete asshole, even though I find that hard to believe, but still, I don’t trust him.”

I nod. “I don’t trust him, either, but it’s better to come to an understanding than to spend our time hating each other, you know? He’s my roommate, after all.”

“I can’t wait to see you in Seoul, though. I was sure you’d refuse and go home,” he says, laughing when I frown at him.

“I don’t hate travelling that much,” I mutter, looking away.

“You used to hate it.” Rin looks nostalgic for a second. “It was so easy for me to know that no matter how far I traveled, I’d always find you in the same spot, ready to swim with me.”

His words make me feel guilty for an unknown reason and it must be showing on my face, because Rin immediately starts apologizing.

“No, Haru, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m genuinely happy for you.”

“It’s okay,” I reply, my voice quiet. “I know what you mean and I know I’ve been difficult, but I’m trying to change, Rin.”

“I was the one being difficult, Haru. You always put up with me, no matter how much of an asshole I am.” He shakes his head. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

Kaede returns to our room, looking absolutely exhausted as he falls on his bed, face first. He has invited me to go running with him this evening, but I preferred to have a video call with Rin instead.

“Can you still talk?” Rin asks me.

“Kaede came back form his evening run,” I explain, smiling when my roommate gets up and points to the bathroom. “He’s going to take a long bath now, so we can still talk for a while.”

“So nice of you, Kinjou,” Rin says on a mocking tone, raising his voice.

“Go to hell, Matsuouka,” Kaede replies, mimicking his tone.

I roll my eyes and my boyfriend starts laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kaede eyes the mackerel on his place suspiciously.

“Shut it,” I warn him, pointing my chopsticks at him. “You made me eat canelloni yesterday.”

“You said it wasn’t that bad!” he protests.

“I didn’t say I liked it, either. I was just hungry,” I retort, picking up a piece of fish my chopsticks.

The orange haired man lets out a deep sigh. “Fine, I’ll eat without complains.”

He picks up his phone and starts scrolling through Instagram as he eats. Suddenly, he stops at one picture and turns his phone so I can see the screen. I recognize Ji Hoon as I watch the picture of two guys posing together in a club.

“That’s Shinobu,” he explains, pointing with his chopsticks at the other one. “The other one is the Ji Hoon you were talking about, right?”

I nod, looking away from the picture and I resume my meal without saying anything.

“Kind of a big coincidence that you’ve asked me about both guys and now it turns out they know each other well enough to go clubbing together. What am I missing, Haru?”

I hesitate and he nudges me in the side with his elbow. “Out with it. Did one of these two do something to your precious loser friends and you were suspecting me?”

“Stop calling them losers.”

He shrugs. “I told you, Haru. All this shit all of you do, putting friendship above everything else, is wrong and useless. You’re alone when you’re swimming.”

“No, I’m not,” I reply, keeping calm. “We’re swimming together.”

“You’re swimming against each other,” he contradicts me, gritting his teeth in annoyance. “That’s why you don’t reach your full potential and I’m talking about all of you, Ikuya, Hiyori, Rin…”

“Is that why you’re completely alone, Kaede?” I interrupt him.

“We’re not talking about me,” the orange haired swimmer mutters, shaking his head. “I’m done eating,” he adds, placing his chopsticks on the table and getting up.

Kaede slams the door of our room after him as he leaves.

~~~~~~~~~~

Our coach claps his hands a few times as he draws our attention to him. “We’re having another race, just like last time. Zhao, Haruka, Michael, you’re the team captains today. You know what you have to do.”

I look around, not knowing who to pick. Every time I want to call a swimmer that I know is fast, one of the other two beats me to it.

I flinch when Kaede places his hand on my shoulder. “You’re terrible at this,” he comments as the last remaining two guys start walking towards us.

I drop my head, sighing and he starts laughing. “At least you’re the first to swim and I get to be your anchor.” The corners of his mouth curve upwards. “If we win, you owe me. I refused Zhao when he picked me so I could be in your team, Haru.”

I open my mouth and he cuts me off. “I’ll think about it if we win.” 

Kaede nudges me, pointing to our other two teammates. I clear my voice, turning my attention towards them as I tell them the order in which we swim, before I put my swim cap and goggles on, then take my place on the starting block.

“Take your marks,” the coach tells us.

I have a slow start because Kaede’s words made me nervous. I manage to catch up to Zhao, however, both of us slapping the wall at the same time, before Michael does.

Kaede offers me his hand, helping me out of the water. His eyes are focused on our teammate, who’s the slowest of them all. The third one is not as bad, but still, he’s the last one to touch the wall.

Kaede dives in perfectly when it’s his turn and I haven’t seen him swimming this fast ever since the All – Japan Invitational, when he beat me. My roommate looks like a shark following it’s prey as he cuts through the water. He first catches up to Zhao’s teammate, leaving him behind in a short time. Then, he pushes even harder than before and manages to slap the wall a second before Michael’s teammate does.

The coach approaches us, clapping his hands. He always enjoys our weekly races.

“Nicely done, Kaede,” he praises the orange haired swimmer as he pulls himself out of the water. “Haruka, I guess swimming first leg is not for you.”

I wince at the lecture, but say nothing. Kaede can’t help but smirk in his usual superior way, completely ignoring our two teammates who thank him profusely for getting us all out of cleaning duty today.

I grit my teeth, angry at myself, Kaede and the coach as I make my way to the locker room.

Kaede, of course, follows me.

“Why do I always make you so nervous?” he teases me as he leans against the wall and watches me splash cold water on my face. “I’ve been on my best behavior these past weeks, haven’t I? I didn’t break our deal.”

“I always feel like you want something from me, Kaede,” I reply honestly. “It makes me uncomfortable.”

I look up, locking eyes with him in the mirror.

“What do I owe you now that you’ve won the race for us?”

I turn around when Kaede starts to slowly walk towards me. He grips my chin, forcing my head back as he stares into my eyes. His face is too close to mine and my heart is pounding in my chest. I’m scared someone is going to come in, see us and get the wrong impression.

Kaede releases me almost instantly and looks away as he sighs.

“Nothing,” he murmurs. “You owe me nothing.”

Those are the last words he speaks to me for our remaining time in Barcelona.


	54. Asami's POV

“I feel bad leaving you alone,” I tell my boyfriend as I sit on his lap, then hand him a cup of green tea.

Ikuya wraps one arm around me, pulling me even closer to him as he rests his chin atop my head. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll catch up with some of the essays I have to write for my courses at Uni, maybe hit the pool later in the evening…”

“I’ll try to finish early today, so we can go to the pool together.”

“Sounds good,” he replies, pressing his lips to the side of my neck.

I turn my head so I can kiss him on the lips, then reluctantly get up. Ikuya places his hands on my hips and spins me around, then pulls me back onto his lap.

“Ikuya, I have to go,” I protest weakly, letting out a content sigh when he buries his face in the crook of my neck and starts kissing the sensitive skin there.

“I know,” he replies, brushing a hand through my hair. 

“Then let me go,” I ask, chuckling when he wraps his arms tighter around me.

“I will. Eventually,” he promises me as he pushes one hand underneath my T shirt.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re late,” Ritsu tells me as he checks his watch. “I see you went running this morning, like I asked you to,” he adds, giving me an excuse before I could come up with one on my own.

“Well, yeah,” I reply, smiling. 

It’s not like I didn’t work out this morning.

“Yakov asked me to take care of one of his skaters today,” he says.

I perk up, thinking it’s Yura, but then he mentions “She’s not here yet, so you can start with the quad Axel after you warm up.”

I groan as I start to put on my skates. “Gross, why do I have to practice with Tatiana?”

Ritsu shrugs. “I couldn’t say no, now, could I? Just practice your exhibition skate while she’s here, I’m going to ask her to do the same anyways.”

Fortunately, I get two hours of quad Axel practice before Tatiana enters the rink.

“Hello. Asami, I love your hair, it looks amazing, it has so much volume,” she compliments me, smiling perfectly. The smile, however, doesn’t reach her eyes, not that I needed proof it’s fake. She’s Elizabeth’s friend for a reason.

I clear my voice, resisting the urge to tell her how I got it to look this way and what a good shag in the morning does to your hair. I smile back at her and thank her, then Ritsu calls her.

“You can practice your exhibition skate today, since Yakov is not here,” he suggests, but the blonde Russian girl stares back at him blankly.

“I don’t have one,” she retorts.

Ritsu’s mouth drops open and I have to look away and force myself not to laugh at his expression.

“Why?” he asks, still in disbelief.

She shrugs. “I’ll practice my quads today if that’s okay with you,” she says, dodging the question. “I have to leave early, anways, I have an appointment to the doctor.”

“Okay…well, then, suit yourself, Tatiana.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I’m happy the blonde bitch left early, so I can go back to practicing my quad Axel. I manage to land it five times in a row, which is the most impressive I’ve done so far.

“Well done,” Ritsu praises me as he motions for me to end the day. “We should stop for today, though. Your leg is not fully healed and I don’t want to tempt fate.”

I check the time, smiling. If I leave now, I’ll get two full hours with Ikuya at the hotel pool.

Me and my coach share a taxi, as usual, to go back to our hotel, then part ways at the lobby, since our rooms are on different floors. I stretch my arms and back in the elevator, only now realizing how tired I actually am.

I start walking towards my room, stopping in my tracks when the door starts to open. Confused and curious, I hide behind the corner in the hallway.

My blood freezes when I see Tatiana stepping out of my room, her hair a mess and her make up smudged. I lean against the wall, holding my breath as I try to calm myself down. I don’t know what she’s doing in my room, but I refuse to believe Ikuya is in there as well. He’s surely at the pool, he must have gotten bored and decided to go before I came back. That must be it.

Tatiana doesn’t notice me as she gets into the elevator and leaves. I almost leave my hiding spot when I notice the door opening again. My mouth drops when I see Ikuya stepping outside, wearing only loose pants, his hair still wet after showering most likely. He looks left and right, then shrugs and goes back inside. 

A few seconds later, my phone vibrates.

_How’s practice, love? I’m done with my essays, are you coming back soon?_

I squeeze the phone in my hands as tears start dropping on the display. I slap a hand over my mouth, muffling my sobs as I lean against the wall. My knees are shaking.

How could he do that to me? 

I wish I had the strength to go in there and confront him, but I can’t do it. That would mean it’s over.

I turn off my phone, then go to the elevator and call it. As soon as I’m inside, I press the button for the top floor, knowing that the roof is only two more flights of stairs away.

I feel calmer as I step onto the roof, the wind chilling me to the bone. I sit near the edge, pulling my knees to my chest as I rest my forehead on top of them. My head hurts and my tears almost freeze on my cheeks because of the cold. 

I untie my hair and brush my fingers through it as I massage my scalp, trying to will my headache away. 

“I knew I’d fine you here.”

I wipe at my eyes as I hear Elizabeth’s voice. She sits down next to me and I move a few inches away from her.

“Go away,” I warn her. “I’m not in the mood for your shit, Elizabeth.”

She places a hand on my shoulder and I resist the urge to flinch.

“I know we’re not friends or anything, but I have to tell you something.”

I look away, trying to ignore her, but she doesn’t take her hand off.

“I should’ve told you ever since he came here, but…Ikuya didn’t come here for you, Asami. He and Tatiana have been seeing each other for a while.”

I bite hard on my bottom lip, trying to keep calm.

“That’s a lie,” I manage to say, keeping my voice even.

“No, it’s not,” the blonde retorts. “They’ve started talking around the time you went to Barcelona. They stopped talking for a few days, because you going there made Ikuya confused, but then he made his choice.”

“That’s low, even for you, Elizabeth,” I tell her, shaking my head. “Then what is he doing here, staying with me, in my room?”

“Tatiana hates drama, she’s just patiently waiting for him to tell you it’s over.”

Hearing these things after seeing the blonde Russian skater coming out of my room isn’t helping me at all. 

I press my hands over my stomach, suddenly feeling sick. I don’t want to believe Elizabeth, but I’m too shaken up to be rational right now.

“You expect me to believe that Tatiana just lets Ikuya sleep with me, act like we’re together, while he treats her like a side chick?” I point out, trying again to regain control of the situation.

“I won’t pretend to understand, I just wanted to tell you what I know. I feel bad for causing your injuries and then spreading the rumor that you hit me on purpose.”

Elizabeth shakes her head, sighing as she looks up at the sky.

“Winning that gold medal didn’t bring me happiness,” she opens up. “I realized that all the bad things I’ve done, being mean to the other girls, everything was for nothing.”

She reaches her arm towards me, but I avoid her touch.

“I’ll hit you if you try to hug me,” I warn her. “End this charade, Elizabeth.”

The blonde girl sighs again, then gets up and dusts her pants off. “You’re just upset, Asami. I came here to tell you the truth, because I’m sure he’ll deny everything. And to give you this.” She hands me my access card to my room and I take it, confused. 

I immediately grab my backpack and rummage through it. I even flip it over, dumping the contents on the concrete floor. It is, indeed, my card key.

“This doesn’t prove anything.”

Elizabeth pats my shoulder one more time before she leaves, without saying anything. A sob escapes my mouth, then another and before I know it, I’m crying again.

I don’t want to believe Elizabeth, I know how cruel she can be. I’m sure Tatiana just told her what they’ve done and the American girl just took it to the next level. I can dismiss her story with no effort.

What I can’t justify is the reason why Tatiana snuck out of my room, with Ikuya in there.


	55. Ikuya's POV

It’s been one hour since the hotel pool has closed when I return to the lobby and sit on one of the uncomfortable armchairs there. Asami has her phone turned off and I have no way of contacting her. I’ve searched for her all over, texted Yuri and the others.

No one knows where she is or what happened to her.

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated as I grab a fistful of it and pull. I don’t understand what’s gotten into her all of a sudden.

I sigh as Elizabeth sits down across from me, with a glass of fresh orange juice in her hand. She smiles at me as she takes a sip, then places the glass on the small table between us.

“You look lonely.”

I get up, because I don’t have the patience to deal with her tonight.

“You might want to sit down, Ikuya. You’re looking for Asami, right?” 

Elizabeth rubs the tip of her forefinger against the glass, pushing it lightly and making the ice cubes inside clink. I don’t reply, but the curves of her mouth turn upwards when I sit back down. I may not have said anything, but it’s obvious I’m interested in what she has to say.

The blonde casually sips from her glass again, then checks her watch. “Hm, she should be on the roof by now. That’s where she goes to meet him.”

I lean forward. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Elizabeth shakes her head. “I can’t believe how dense you are, Ikuya. I told you, didn’t I? Asami doesn’t date anyone. I can’t keep up with her, she’s always hanging out with a different guy. I guess it’s Vladimir’s night.”

“You expect me to believe you?” I ask, clenching my fists to stop my hands my shaking.

I hate that there’s a part of me that doesn’t trust Asami enough to dismiss Elizabeth’s words completely and she notices it. The blonde flips her hair over one shoulder and leans back into her armchair.

“You can go see for yourself, though I don’t guarantee they’re still up there.”

I sigh, looking away from her superior smirk. I rub the bridge of my nose, thinking that going back to Asami’s room and waiting for her there may be the best solution, when suddenly someone sits unceremoniously on my lap.

Tatiana grins at me as she wraps her arms around my neck. “Hi.” 

“Get off,” I tell her, grabbing her arms. 

“Oh, come on,” Elizabeth intervenes. “Instead of running around the hotel, looking for Asami, who’s clearly busy, you should go out with me and Tatiana tonight.”

“No, thank you,” I reply, angrily frowning when the blonde Russian girl looks over my shoulder and winks at someone.

I turn back in time to see Asami spin on her heels and try to run away. She slams hard into a Russian guy, however, who wraps his arms around her to prevent her from falling.

“Oh, that’s Vladimir,” Tatiana says and waves at the man.

“See, I got it right,” Elizabeth comments, sighing. “I’m sorry for you, Ikuya.”

I don’t pay attention to her, though. I push Tatiana off of me, but it takes me a few seconds to get rid of her and it’s enough time for Asami to disappear.

~~~~~~~~~~

I first check her room, then go up on the roof, where Elizabeth told me earlier that I might find her. Asami is sitting close to the edge and the sight makes me uncomfortable, so I approach her carefully, trying not to scare her.

The brunette turns her head towards me when I’m a few steps away from her, fresh tears on her face. “So it’s true,” she tells me, her voice even and calm despite the tears streaking down her cheeks.

“Asami, let’s talk about this,” I say, reaching my arms towards her. “But first, let’s go inside. It’s cold and you’re too close to the edge for my liking.”

“This is where I’ve been the past three hours,” she murmurs.

Asami flinches when I wrap an arm around her shoulders, but she doesn’t push me away. She feels ice cold and I know she’s telling me the truth.

I hate myself because I need evidence to believe her.

“I tried calling you, but your phone’s turned off. The guys didn’t know anything about you, either.”

Asami, however, remains quiet until we reach her room.

“How about you take a hot shower first, you’re so cold,” I tell her, rubbing my hands along her arms. 

“I’ve given it some thought and I…”

She suddenly stops and shakes her head.

“Yes, I’ll go take a shower first.” She turns around and walks towards the bathroom, stopping in her tracks in the open door. “I’m just not ready for it to be over yet.”

My eyes widen as I hear her words, but she has already slammed the door shut by the time I cross the room. I try the doorknob, but it’s locked, of course.

I sit on the bed, trying to calm myself as I rub both hands through my hair. Elizabeth lied to me about Asami being with Vladimir, it was too cheap of a story for me to believe it, despite my doubts at the beginning. Surely she must have told Asami some shit about me.

I suddenly get angry with my girlfriend. She says she loves me, but yet she trusts me so little that she rushes the believe the first transparent lie someone tells her? And not any person, but Elizabeth, a girl she knows hates her.

The door opens eventually and Asami emerges from the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy white robe. Her hair is wet and tangled, like she didn’t have time to brush it thouroughly, her face is pale and her eyes are red, but she’s cleaned the smudged make up off.

She walks towards me and stops right in front of me. She’s calm and collected now, completely closed off to me. I’ve fought so hard to make her open up more, not hide her emotions, but I see we’re back at square one.

“You could’ve told me you didn’t forgive me,” she starts and her perfectly even voice gets on my nerves. “I’ve thought about it while I sat on the roof, turned it over in my head a million times and this is the only explanation I could come up with. You wanted revenge.”

“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, Asami. Whatever lie Elizabeth told you, you must know it’s…”

Asami raise one hand and presses her fingers to my lips, silencing me. “She did told me a story, yes, not that I believe a word of it. I’m talking about what I saw with my own eyes. I’m giving you one last chance to explain yourself, Ikuya.”

“There’s nothing to explain!” I yell and she takes a step back. “I was here the whole time, writing those fucking essays and only went out for lunch and then to search for you, since it was way past the time you said you’d come back and you weren’t answering any of my texts or calls.”

“I saw Tatiana coming out of my room, looking like she’d just been fucked!” Asami yells back. “Not even a minute later, you came out the door as well, looked left and right, then texted me the first time. While I was on the roof, Elizabeth came to feed me a stupid story about how you and Tatiana are dating or some shit, but then she returned my access card. So, basically, Tatiana stole my access card today, came into my room, surprised you with an afternoon shag and then left.”

“Do you think so little of me that you would believe I would do something like this to you? Do you even trust me?”

I shake my head, frustrated.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have gotten back together, Asami,” I tell her.

The brunette looks like I’ve slapped her and I regret my words immediately.

“Don’t you dare,” I yell after her when she turns on her heels and tries to run away from me.

I manage to catch her right before she enters the bathroom, wrapping my arms around her as I lift her off the ground. I expect her to begin kicking and try to escape from me, but instead Asami goes limp and covers her face with both hands as she starts to cry again.

I gently place her on the floor and embrace her, running my fingers soothingly through her still wet hair. 

“I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry,” I apologize, kissing the top of her head.

Asami pulls away from me, then grips the material of my T shirt in her hands, squeezing as hard as she can.

“Ikuya, please, tell me what was Tatiana doing here,” she asks me, her lips quivering. “I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“I don’t know, Asami. I was in the shower when I thought I heard someone opening the door. Thinking it was you, I came out of the bathroom, then checked the hallway. That’s all.”

I cover her hands with mine, sighing.

“Why don’t you believe me?” I ask her, when I see she’s quiet again. “Asami, you told me yourself that Elizabeth has a tendency to bully other skaters. She caused your injuries and secured the gold medal, now she’s trying to force us apart, because she knows how important our relationship is to you.”

“I know,” she mutters, closing her eyes. “I saw Tatiana coming out of this room, her hair a mess, her lipstick smudged and I lost my goddamn mind.”

“She probably did it on purpose,” I add, relieved now that she appears to have calmed down. 

It frustrates me to no end that I have to spend my limited time here arguing with Asami, even though I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Elizabeth told me you were hooking up with Vladimir on the roof,” I say, knowing this is the best time to discuss about it.

“He stayed with me for about five minutes, while he smoked. He was hiding there from his couch.” Asami explains. “He kept trying to find out what Victor is going to add to his free skate in the Grand Prix Final.”

The brunette gasps in surprise when I get up and lift her up as well. I walk to the sofa, sitting on it as I wrap my arms tighter around her.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” I apologize, resting my forehead against hers.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” she mutters, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know why I acted like this, I should’ve controlled myself better, I…”

“Shh.” I wipe the tears away with my thumb, then lower my head to kiss her on the lips. “That’s not a solution, Asami. You need to stop running away from me when these things happen. It would’ve been better to just confront me then.”

“I was afraid,” she murmurs. 

“Afraid of what?”

“That you’d end it. That you didn’t really forgive me for hurting you and you wanted to hurt me back, too.”

“I would never do that and you should know it,” I reply, kissing her forehead.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know. Promise me you won’t let Elizabeth get in your head when I’ll leave for Seoul.”

“I promise,” Asami says, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I don’t want you to worry about me instead of giving it your all during your races.”

It’s no use telling her that I’ll be worried, anyways.


	56. Haru's POV

I resurface, gasping for air as I pull myself out of the water. I take my swim cap off and let the goggles dangle around my neck as I turn around to check the results. People are cheering loudly and I can’t help but smile when I see I finished the 50 m free first.

Kaede is breathing heavily as he gets out of the pool, something that he usually doesn’t do and I immediately know he tried the breathless fifty today. Still, he came in second.

“Lucky bastard,” he mutters behind me.

He takes me by surprise as he slaps me in the middle of my back and pushes me back into the pool. The fans are delighted and their screams are defeaning as I emerge and shake the water out of my hair.

Kaede plants a hand on his hip, smirking down at me. He began talking to me again when we found out we’re sharing a room in Seoul, as well, since we came together from Barcelona.

I show him the middle finger and he bursts out laughing, then helps me out of the pool.

“I’ll show you how the 200 m free looks like,” he tells me, grinning in his usual predatory way. “I’ll humiliate you and your boyfriend tomorrow.”

“Do whatever you want,” I reply, unimpressed. “A deal is a deal. You’re moving with Rin’s roommate tonight.”

The orange haired swimmer groans as he brushes a hand through his hair. “Why did I ever teach you about deals settled in races?”

Rin was super pissed when I told him I’m sharing a room with Kaede again, but perked up a bit when I promised to switch. However, I don’t like moving my things, so I just made a deal with Kaede. If I win the 50 m free, Kaede moves with Rin’s roommate, whoever he is. If I lose, then the orange haired swimmer gets to ask me to do anything.

I’m relieved that I won, honestly. Who knows what he would’ve asked me to do?

Kaede wins the 100 m free, which the last race for today, and Ikuya comes in second. I’m too distracted because Rin is going to land in Seoul this evening, so I finish in third place. I’m anxious because my boyfriend stopped replying to my texts this morning. I was fine for a few hours, telling myself that it’s just because of his flight, or maybe he’s sleeping, but as time went by, I ran out of rational reasons to keep my anxiety in check.

As soon as the photo session with the medalists is over, I run to the locker room to take a shower and change. My hair is still wet when the taxi arrives, but I don’t mind. 

The last time I talked to Rin, he told me that Sousuke is coming to Seoul as well, to accompany Sayuri and cheer for her, since she decided to take part in the competition too. Their flights arrive almost at the same time, so it’s no surprise to me when I see them.

Sayuri notices me first and she waves me over, then immediately wraps her arms around me.

“Haru, so good to see you,” she tells me, squeezing me as hard as she can.

I notice Sousuke frown at me, before he looks away, almost as if he doesn’t acknowledge my presence.

“How have you been?” the chestnut haired girl asks me, before she gives her boyfriend a dirty look.

I shrug. “Like always. Nothing new,” I reply and Sousuke snorts. 

I’m about to ask him what his problem is when I see Rin walking towards us, loaded by his bags. He’s accompanied by another young man. Ii know I’ve seen him before, but I don’t pay too much attention to him.

I take a step towards Rin, but Sousuke steps between us.

“Sousuke, you promised not to interfere,” Sayuri says, grabbing his arm.

“I can’t just watch him act as if nothing happened,” he replies, shaking his head.

“What happened?” I ask, trying to step past Sousuke and catch Rin’s eyes. “Rin, tell me what’s wrong.”

My boyfriend shakes his head and a few crimson strands get in his eyes. I resist the urge to push the hair away, because there’s someone else with us.

“See for yourself,” he finally says, handing me his phone.

I almost drop it when I see a very intimate photo of me…and another guy that looks a lot like Kaede. My face can be clearly seen, but the other guys has his buried in the crook of my neck, only his golden orange hair gives away his identity. We’re in a pool and it’s obvious both to me and Rin that it has been taken in Barcelona.

“What is the meaning of this, Haru?” Rin asks me, his voice shaking. 

“I don’t know,” I answer, shaking my head in disbelief.

“That’s definitely my brother,” the newcomer intervenes, swinging an arm around Rin’s shoulders.

I manage to move past Sousuke, then grab his hand, squeezing his wrist. “Who are you?”

The young man pulls his hand free, massaging his wrist with a surprised look on his face. “That actually hurt, what the hell? I’m Shinobu,” he replies, but I don’t pay any attention to him.

I’m staring right into Rin’s eyes, silently asking him to believe me.

“Rin, let’s go,” Sousuke says, placing his hand on my boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Sousuke, enough,” Sayuri intervenes. “They need to talk and you’re not helping.”

“I have nothing more to say, that picture speaks volumes,” Rin comments.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I mutter.

I realize what it sounds like only when the crimson haired boy widens his eyes at me.

“No, I didn’t mean...”

Rin cuts me off by waving his hand in a dismissing motion. 

“Enough, Haru. I get it, I’m not enough for you. I’m not challenging you as a swimmer, not like he does.”

With that, Rin turns his back on me and leaves. He’s not even giving me a chance to explain myself.

My eyes fill with tears and Sayuri wraps an arm around me. “I’m so sorry, Haru. Rin told Sousuke about the picture this morning and I tried to convince him not to meddle, but you know how he gets when his best friend is involved.”

“That photo is fake,” I murmur, looking down.

“I believe you,” the chestnut haired girl says. “Give Rin some time, Haru, I’m sure reason will kick in soon.”

“I’m tired of giving him time,” I reply, rubbing at my eyes in frustration. “The jealousy, the lack of trust…no more.”

She opens her mouth to plead Rin’s cause further, but I cut her off.

“What is Shinobu doing with Rin?” I inquire.

“They met at the training camp in Rome apparently. Shinobu is Hanabi’s brother and his specialties are backstroke and butterfly. He’s the one who showed Rin the picture.” Sayuri clicks her tongue in disapproval. “I don’t like him, he seems off in some way.”

“It’s the first time I’m hearing about him,” I comment, sighing as I rub the bridge of my nose.

“Will you be okay?” my friend asks me, honestly concerned.

“Yes,” I reply. “Go, don’t let them wait for you.”

Sayuri bites her bottom lip, looking at me.

“What now?” 

I suddenly feel exhausted.

“Rin will be staying with us and Sousuke will probably do whatever he can to prevent you from seeing him…”

“I don’t care,” I interrupt her. “This time, I won’t come.”

Sayuri squeezes my shoulder one last time before she leaves. 

Only when I’m back in my hotel room and see Kaede packing his things while stifling a yawn do I even realize what the hell happened.

I slap a hand over my mouth to muffle my sub and lean with my back against the door. My knees give out and I slid against the door until I’m on the floor.

Kaede kneels in front of me, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t be so dramatic, Haru, I said I’m leaving. Where’s your boyfriend?”

He squint his eyes at me when I don’t respond, then looks at me concerned. “Did he dump or something?”

My head drops and I can’t hold the tears off any longer. I gasp, feeling like I’m drowning. I can’t breathe.

Kaede grabs my shoulder, shaking me lightly. “Haru, are you serious? I was joking!”

“Shinobu somehow got his hands on a photo of me and you fooling around in the pool in Barcelona,” I tell him, as soon as I can speak again. 

“My brother?” 

I nod, raising my head to look at him. Kaede’s face is calm and serious, just like that time in Barcelona when he got mad at me for telling him that he makes me uncomfortable.

I realize that he’s most likely expecting me to lash out at him and accuse him of photoshopping that picture. But I don’t think it’s him. 

“I see,” the orange haired man says, then gets up. “I’m not going to make excuses, Haruka, or swear it wasn’t me. You can…”

“I know,” I reply, cutting him off. “You’re not so good with a computer as to pull off such a thing.”

His mouth drops open and he stares at me in disbelief. “Did you just tell me I’m not smart enough for this?”

I almost laugh at his expression, but my chest hurts too much for that. 

“You’re so cruel, Haru,” he mutters, kneeling in front of me again. “Do you know what I’d like to do right now?” he says, grabbing my chin and tilting my head back. “I’d kiss you until you tears dry up,” he adds, his lips inches away from mine. “I’d make you yell my name so many times that you’ll forget his.”

He lets me go before I can pull away, then lets out a deep sigh. “Go to the fucking pool or on a walk, Haru, before I do something I’ll regret.”

Kaede helps me get up, then wipes my tears away, before he grabs my shoulders and turns me so I can face the door. He opens the door and unceremoniously pushes me out on the hallway.


	57. Rin's POV

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Haru looked absolutely destroyed when I refused to talk to him. I just hope he loves me enough to forgive me for this.

Sayuri has been silently crying ever since she joined us. I don’t know what she discussed with Haru, but it’s obvious she’s on his side. I feel bad that I’ve judged her harshly.

The girl slaps Sousuke’s hand away when he tries to help her with her bag and my friend winces. I nod when Shinobu waves at us, watching him as he gets in his taxi, after putting his bags in the trunk. Our cab isn’t here yet.

“Can you…”

“Yes, I can,” Sousuke says, as soon as Shinobu’s taxi has left. 

Sayuri blinks in confusion, looking at her boyfriend, before she turns her head to me. 

“I’ll explain everything, love. Don’t be mad at me,” he eventually tells her.

My best friend wraps an arm around her waist, then pulls her closer and kisses the top of her head. This time, Sayuri doesn’t reject him.

“So you don’t believe the photo is real?” she asks me after she started to process things.

I shake my head and open my mouth to respond, but she cuts me off by slapping me across my face hard. I gasp in surprise – and pain – but then Sousuke receives the same treatment and I suddenly feel better.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” she comments as she lightly shakes her hand. Her palm is red and swollen, just like Sousuke’s cheek and probably mine too.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Sousuke tells her, sighing as he rubs his cheek.

“I don’t want to hear it,” she retorts, threatening him with his finger. “Rin, you can’t let Haru in the state that he is right now. He told me that it’s over for him,” she adds, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. “He said that he can’t take your lack of trust and jealousy anymore!”

My stomach drops. “He said that?”

She nods furiously. “I know Haru better than you think, Rin. He said all those things because of how hurt he is. You have to go tell him the truth, whatever that is,” she mutters, turning her head to look at Sousuke.

“I’ll take care of your bags,” my best friend says, raising his fist.

I bump it with mine, smiling at him.

~~~~~~~~~~

I pull my black cap over my eyes, then put the hood of my jacket over it as well, hoping it’s enough of a disguise, in case someone sees me. I don’t want Shinobu to recognize me.

I don’t need time to think about it too much, I know Haru too well to know that he’s most likely at the pool right now. He needs water when he’s upset.

I eventually find the hotel pool and my heart skips a beat when I see my boyfriend sit on the edge, with his legs dangling into the water. His head is tilted back, as if he’s looking at the ceiling, but his eyes are closed. His features look so delicate in the dim blue light and I feel guilt overwhelm me when I notice the fresh tears on his cheeks.

I approach him without making a noise, then sit beside him as I remove my hood and cap. Haru doesn’t move or acknowledge me in any way and I have to resist the urge to tackle him.

“Haru,” I whisper.

His eyes snap open and he immediately turns to look at me. His face lights up for one second, then his expression turns to bitter confusion and it eventually settles into a sad calm. The brunet wipes his tears away, without breaking eye contact with me.

“I know the picture is fake,” I tell him, knowing that I don’t have too much time until he’ll flip me off. “That’s actually me in the picture, in one of our first nights in Barcelona.”

His eyes widen and his mouth drops open. It doesn’t take long until tears start spilling from his eyes and he pulls back a little. My heart breaks when I see him struggle to wipe them away, so I just grab his wrists, pull his hands away and press my lips against his. The brunet goes still at first, but then he kisses me back like there’s no tomorrow.

I grip his hips, pulling him closer and he wraps his arms around my shoulders, deepening the kiss. However, it doesn’t take long until he breaks the kiss and pushes me away. I try to pull him back to me, but Haru places his hands on my chest, keeping me at arms length.

“Explain.”

He only needs one word to make me feel like shit. I start to think that the idea Sousuke and I came up with isn’t so good anymore.

“Long story short, Sousuke and I thought that if we pretend that we believe the photo is real, I may find out from Shinobu who actually sent it.”

Haru’s expressionless face suggests that he needs more.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I needed your genuine reaction. You don’t know how to pretend.”

I brace myself, thinking for a second that he’ll slap me, just like Sayuri did ealier.

The brunet only lets out a deep sigh, before his head drops. He rests his forehead on my chest, then grabs the material of my hoodie with both his shaking hands.

“I’m so sorry, Haru,” I mutter, covering his hands with mind. “I realize that by playing detective I only managed to hurt you.”

“I missed you so much, Rin. I was so nervous about seeing you that I couldn’t even concentrate on my last race today. Only to face your rejection at the airport.”

Haru shakes his head and I fear he’ll tell me what he said to Sayuri. I place both hands on his neck, angling his head as I slam my mouth on his. I won’t let him say the words, I’ll kiss him until his changes his mind.

I lick his bottom lip before I slip my tongue into his mouth. I push one hand underneath his T shirt, my other hand tightening on his neck as I taste him and Haru moans softly in my mouth.

We’re both breathing heavily as I break the kiss and my boyfriend smiles, his lips a bit swollen. I almost let out a sigh of relief as I rub my thumb over his bottom lip, my eyes searching his for any sign of regret.

“I always feel guilty when you kiss me like that in public,” he mutters, looking down. “I know you don’t want people to find out.”

“There’s no one here right now, expect for us,” I reply.

I know I said the wrong thing when I see Haru’s hurt expression. However, he elegantly changes the subject.

“The photo is fake, this is what I wanted to tell you at the airport,” he says. “Also, tell Sousuke to go fuck himself for going along with such a stupid idea,” he adds, rolling his eyes and I can’t help but chuckle.

“We just wanted to find the asshole who did it…”

“Why does is matter so much? Some frustrated idiot who knows about us and wanted to make you uncomfortable.”

Haru’s eyes widen. 

“That’s actually the problem, isn’t it? You want to find out who he is because he knows about us.”

I close my eyes, trying to calm myself. 

“Wanting to keep things a little hidden until we make the Olympic Team doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

He pauses and looks away. Eventually, he lets out a deep sigh and nods.

“Okay, Rin. I understand.”

Something tells me that instead of mending things, I fucked them up even harder.

~~~~~~~~~~

Being in the same city with Haru and not being able to sleep in the same bed with him is frustrating. I kept tossing and turning on the sofa in the apartment Sousuke and Sayuri booked for their stay in Seoul, unable to sleep.

Even now, in the waiting rooms, even though Haru is across the room, I feel farther away from him than we were when I was training in Rome and he was in Barcelona.

I feel jealous as I see his roommate approach him and they start talking about something. I don’t know how something like this could happen, but Haru and Kinjou act as if they’re friends. Ikuya and Hiyori join them and the teal haired swimmer probably asked him about me, because he looked at me for a second. Haru shrugs and shakes his head, his expression hurt just like last night, when I made him promise to keep up the appearance and pretend we’re not on speaking terms anymore. At the same time, Hiyori and Kaede start bickering about something and their argument ends with the auburn haired swimmer dumping his cup of hot tea all over Kaede.

Shinobu appears beside me and elbows me in the side. “Did you guys talk things through?”

“Nope.” I open my bottle of water and take a sip. “I don’t remember, but did I ask you where you got that photo from?”

“My sister,” he replies promptly. “She and Kaede hated each other, as far as I knew, but suddenly they became best friends and he started telling her about his new crush. Eventually, he sent her the picture of him and Haru.”

“Who even took that picture?” I ask, shaking my head.

“Who knows?” he responds, shrugging with one shoulder. “Maybe they had a threesome,” he adds, chuckling. “Sorry, that was over the top,” he immediately apologizes when I settle my eyes on him.

“You know, you never told me how you came to know about my relationship with Haru.”

Shinobu brushes a hand through his black hair, caught off guard. It’s clear he didn’t think I’d ask such a thing.

“From my sister,” he replies, but he hesitate enough to make me suspect he’s lying. Also, Hanabi is clearly not the type to meddle into something like this.

I turn my attention back to Haru and the others. Kaede seems to have left, probably to change from his tea soaked T shirt and there’s a Korean guy in his place. I instantly recognize Junnie, the one who treated Hiyori badly when we were in Kyoto. The Korean swimmer tries to talk to Hiyori a few times, but eventually gives up when the other simply leaves. Out of nowhere, Shinobu appears with a cup of tea or coffee, then offers it to Junnie, but he only takes it so he can place it on a table, right next to Haru’s cup.

I’m angry because I didn’t learn anything from Shinobu. I know he’s lying about Hanabi, but that still doesn’t bring me closer to the person who really orchestrated this. Also, Shinobu and Junnie seem to know each other, but that doesn’t prove anything either.

Maybe I’m thinking too much about it. 

I look at Haru as he empties his cup of tea and wipe a thumb over his lips and I sigh. I wish I could cross the room and press my lips against his and wish him good luck.

Instead, I just walk past him and place my hand on his shoulder for a quick second, before I make my way to the stands. This time, I decided to take part in butterfly races only, as a proper ending to my training camp in Rome, so I get to watch Haru’s 200 m free from a distance.

It takes a while until all the swimmers are standing on their starting blocks. Some of them are adjusting their goggles or swim cap, Ikuya fist bumps Hiyori and then turns to Haru, to wish him good luck as well probably. I’m surprised to see my boyfriend rub at his eyes, the only one with his goggles still dangling around his neck. I notice Kaede, who’s right next to him, stare at him as well, but then we hear “Take your marks!” and he looks away. 

The signal is given and the swimmers dive in almost at the same time. Haru has a slow start and his movements are somehow wrong. I can’t believe my eyes when everyone swims past him and he’s the last one.

I get up from my seat when Haru starts going underwater…and he doesn’t swim back up. I can’t believe this is actually happening.

I start running down the steps, towards the pool. I don’t give a shit about rules, all I care about is Haru.

The other people around me are restless as well, since everyone noticed that something is wrong with him. Some of the competitors are swimming, others have noticed and stopped. I see Ikuya and Hiyori swim towards Haru, but the one who’s pulling him out of the water is Kaede.

I freeze in my tracks as I watch the orange haired asshole drag my boyfriend out of the pool. Haru seems to be still conscious as Kaede helps turn him on his side and he starts coughing. I see him struggle to get up, but he ends up falling into his roommate’s arms and stop moving.


	58. Hiyori's POV

Haru’s coach took control of the situation after Kaede pulled him out of the water. I still can’t believe that asshole cared for anything other than gold medals. If someone had told me that Kinjou Kaede, the orange haired bully, had stopped swimming and saved Haru from drowning, I would’ve laughed in their face and ask them what drugs are they on.

Ikuya places a hand on my shoulder. “Hiyori?”

I turn my head towards him, realizing that he might have called my name a few times before.

“Do you think he did it?” my best friend whispers, pointing at Ji Hoon with a tilt of his head.

I shrug. “I don’t know, Ikuya. It might be stress, I think Haru and Rin fought about something.”

“Yeah, but did you look at him before the race?”

I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“When I turned to wish him good luck, he seemed sleepy.”

I brush a hand through my hair, sighing. “Haru only drank from his cup, Ji Hoon didn’t offer him anything, we were together the whole time.”

A team of medics checks us all, before we are asked back on the starting blocks. The 200 m free race will be held again, this time without Haru, who’s already in an ambulance, on his way to the hospital.

It feels wrong somehow, but the competition must go on.

~~~~~~~~~~

I resurface, swinging an arm over the lane rope to hold myself above water as I’m trying to catch my breath. I pull my swim cap off and remove my goggles, then brush my fingers through my wet hair, pushing it away from my forehead.

I’m a bit surprised because I don’t see Ikuya offer me his hand and help me out of the water, like he did on our previous races together, then turn around to check the results.

My mouth drops open when I see that I finished first. I blink, then rub my eyes and check again and that’s when I notice the deafening cheers around me.

I pull myself out of the pool, still in disbelief as I help Ikuya out of the water. He shoves me playfully, laughing when he sees my expression.

“I can’t even be mad at you that you stole the first place, close your mouth, Hiyori,” he teases.

Ikuya finished third and Kaede came in second. The orange haired swimmer walks past us, not even glancing at Ikuya, but he gives me a dirty look at he slams his shoulder into mine.

I rub at my shoulder, frowning, but still surprised that he didn’t throw any cruel remark towards me.

Hanabi found out a way to sneak past the personnel and other swimmers, because I see her run towards me and wrap her arms around my neck.

“Hiyori, your first free gold medal! Congratulations!”

I surround her waist with one arm, smiling. “Thank you, love.”

Ikuya looks at us and I bet he would’ve loved to have Asami here with him as well. Which reminds me…

“You should check your phone in the locker room, Ikuya,” I tell him. “Asami might have called, I’m sure she watched the live.”

He nods and we start walking towards the locker room together. We almost round a corner to get to our things when we hear the unmistakable sound of a fist hitting someone else’s flesh.

We peak around the corner in time to see Kaede drops to his knees, his arms folded over his stomach. Hanabi gasps as she notices Shinobu grab him by the hair and force him back up, whereas Ji Hoon is getting ready to pound him again.

“Shinobu, what the fuck are you doing?” she yells, walking towards them before I can stop her.

“I’m doing what Hiyori asked me to do,” Ji Hoon replies instead.

Hanabi grabs Shinobu’s arm, ignoring the Korean guy. “How can you be so stupid and do something like this?”

Ji Hoon takes a step towards my girlfriend, but I step in front of him, cutting his path.

“What’s the problem, Hana?” Shinobu asks, staring at her. “I thought we agreed to hate him.”

He releases Kaede’s hair, though, who crumbles to the floor.

“When did I ever agree that you should beat him?”

Shinobu shrugs. “He meddled into things that didn’t concern him.” 

Ji Hoon grins at me. “I didn’t think you were such a good actor, Hiyori. Your little girlfriend doesn’t suspect a thing, apparently.”

Hana snaps her head towards us, her attention drawn inevitably.

“Ask Hiyori what he offered in exchange for me to scare his rival off,” he says, then motions for Shinobu to come with him.

“He’s lying,” I immediately say.

“Of course,” Kaede snaps, as he gets up in a sitting position. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you, Hiyori?”

“I didn’t ask him to do this,” I counter.

“I don’t even know the guy personally, but he started pounding his fists into me as soon as I stepped into the locker room,” he retorts, wiping the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand. “Must be nice, batting your eyelashes and getting your own personal bully. Did you shake your butt in his face too?”

“Kaede, enough,” Hana cuts him off. “What did Shinobu mean when he said you meddled into things that didn’t concern you?”

“Beats me,” he replies. “Don’t touch me,” he adds, when my girlfriend tries to help him up.

“Just tell us what you know,” Ikuya intervenes, grabbing his chin and tilting his head back so he can stare into Kaede’s eyes. “Too much shit has been happening to us and I want to know why.”

“Maybe you’re the ones meddling,” the orange haired man replies, before he slaps my friend’s hand away and gets up.

“What happened to Haru?” Ikuya presses further, but Kaede limps away, locking himself in one of the shower cabins.

Hanabi lets out a sigh and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “Fuck, that was intense. I thought I’ll come here and watch my boyfriend take a bubble bath, not witness some many stupid things.”

“Hana, I hope you don’t believe…”

“Of course not,” she cuts me off. “Ji Hoon is a bigger asshole than Kaede, that’s for sure, I’m not going to believe a word he says.”

I sigh in relief, thinking about the drama Ikuya had with Asami in Moscow.

“I’m worried about Shinobu,” she adds, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and biting on it. “I don’t understand why he’s hanging out with someone like Ji Hoon.”

“Was it you who told Shinobu about my relationship with Haru?” Rin demands as he appears out of nowhere.

“How can you even ask her something like this?” I intervene, stepping between them just in case.

He brushes a hand through his hair, pulling at it with frustration. “I’m not accusing her, I’m just asking. Maybe it slipped unintentionally?”

The brunette shakes her head. “He never asked me anything about you, Rin.”

“Guys…”

Ikuya’s eyes are widen as he stares at his phone.

“What, did Asami say anything?” I inquire.

He shakes his head. “No, I texted her back, she’s worried sick about Haru, but I promised to go visit him at the hospital and keep her update.”

“Then, what happened?” Hanabi asks, taking his phone when he offers it.

She gasps and I look at the screen as well. An anonymous user on Instagram posted a video of Rin and Haru making out. By the looks of it, they’re sitting on the egde of the pool inside this hotel. They kiss, then Haru pushes him away and they talk a little, before Rin grabs him by the neck and they start making out properly this time. They’re both tagged and there are lots of homophobic comments, along supportive ones from their fans. One in particular draws my attention.

_Is that why Nanase fainted today in the pool? Did Matsuoka fuck him too hard?_

I look at Rin, whose face is pale like he’s just seen a ghost. He opens his mouth, taking short, painful gasps of air.

“Rin, it’s okay,” Hana tells him, standing on her toes so she can grab his shoulders. “Come to your senses, it doesn’t matter!” she adds, shaking him a little.

The crimson haired swimmer slaps a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide. He looks completely shocked.

“I can’t do this. I have to…”

He gently pushes Hana away, then turns on his heels and runs away.


	59. Haru's POV

I wake up abruptly, because of a nightmare. I couldn’t breathe, I was drowning, but my own body wouldn’t listen to me. The precious water that I love so much was slowly killing me, instead of helping me swim fast, like usual.

I get up in a sitting position, but I moved too fast. I’m immediately dizzy and my head feels like it’s going to explode, so I pull my knees up a little and rest my forehead on top of them.

Only after I raise my head do I realize I’m in a hospital bed and Ikuya is sitting on a chair right beside me.

“Ikuya?” I ask, my voice hoarse.

“How are you feeling?” he asks me, getting up from the chair so he can sit on the edge of my bed.

I blink, confused. I don’t remember being in an accident or something, so I have no idea why I’m in a hospital bed.

“I’m fine, I guess,” I eventually reply.

My head hurts and I’m thirsty, to be honest, but it’s not like I feel sick. As if he heard my thoughts, Ikuya offers me a glass of water and I start drinking it.

“You lost consciousness in the pool this morning, during the 200 m free,” he explains and I almost choke on my water. “Kaede pulled you out of the water,” he adds, then starts typing a message. “Your coach asked me to let him know when you’re awake.”

I stare at him in disbelief. So it wasn’t a bad dream? I was really drowning?

“Here, talk to Asami, she was worried sick,” Ikuya tells me, gently patting my shoulder as he hands me his phone. “I’ll be outside if you need me,” he says, leaving so I can have some privacy.

My sister answers almost immediately. “Yes, Ikuya?”

“It’s me,” I mutter.

“Haru, thank the gods…I was so worried when I saw the live stream. How are you feeling?”

“I think I’m okay,” I reply, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “I don’t even remember what happened.”

“You started sinking and out of nowhere, Kaede began swimming towards you and he pulled you out. I feel bad about kicking his face, I could kiss him right now for saving you,” she says, chuckling. “But seriously, Haru…what happened to you? Is it stress?”

“I don’t know,” I respond, sighing. “I really don’t know.”

“Did you talk to Rin yet?”

“He’s not here, Ikuya was the only one with me. Why?”

Asami pauses and I check the phone, thinking it disconnected.

“Well, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but…ask Ikuya to show you the video on Instagram. I guess Rin is freaking out.”

“Okay.”

I’m honestly not curious at all to see the video she mentioned. My guess is it’s going to cause more problems between me and Rin than we already have.

The door opens and Ikuya comes back, accompanied by Azuma and a nurse. She checks me up, then gives me a stack of papers to sign, since my coach requested that I be discharged.

“Someone put an industrial amount of sedatives in your drink this morning,” my coach unceremoniously begins. “That’s why you passed out. I think you didn’t even realize how sleepy you are until it was too late.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprised. “Sedatives in my drink? That sounds impossible.”

“The blood tests don’t lie,” he replies. “Only bottled drinks from now on, Haruka. It may have been an innocent prank, but it could’ve ended in a gruesome way. Also, stay in your room and don’t wander around until I clean up that mess.”

Ikuya winces. “He doesn’t know yet.”

Azuma shrugs. “It’s still out there, it’s not like he doesn’t have time to see it.” My coach walks towards me, sits on the edge of my bed and presses a hand on my shoulder. “I want you to know I won’t judge you or stop training you because of it, but you have to promise not to give in to outside pressure. I’ll take you back to you room and until you have your next race, just stay inside the hotel, okay?”

I nod, feeling like this is the only thing I can do right now. I refrain from asking about Rin or what the video is about, I just keep silent and let Ikuya and Azuma take me back to the hotel.

“Do you want to come to my room or something?” Ikuya offers. “We can…”

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll take Azuma’s advice for tonight.”

The teal haired swimmer nods. “It’s probably for the best. Text me if you need anything, okay?”

I force a smile, nodding and Ikuya leaves. As soon as I’m alone, I pull out my phone and open Instagram. It doesn’t take me long to find the video everyone was talking about, since both me and Rin are tagged on it. I almost drop my phone when I see that it’s a video of us, kissing on the edge of the pool. Judging from our clothes and the background, we were filmed on the night of Rin’s arrival.

I start scrolling through the comments, amazed at how disgusting some people can be. I’m so absorbed by the comments that I don’t notice someone is in front of me until he slams his forearm on the door, above my head.

I raise my eyes to meet his, wincing when I see his grin. He’s taller than me and as soon as he starts talking, I understand he’s an Australian swimmer.

“Hey, Haruka,” he says, licking his lips. “I was wondering if you’re free tonight.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Is that all you’ve got?”

He grabs me by the collar and slams me hard against the door. “Don’t play smart with me, you slut. Because of you, Rin has to suffer humiliation.”

I try to push him away, but he tightens his grip. “I’m not letting you go that easy. By all means, keep struggling, you make me even more excited about disciplining you,” he tells me, grinning.

The door open suddenly behind me and I almost fall, if not for Kaede who supports me.

“Beat it,” he snaps at the Australian swimmer, who immediately lets go of my collar. His attitude changes immediately now that there’s a witness to his actions, but he still spats a “Whore” at me before he leaves.

“I see you’re finally awake, Sleeping Beauty,” my roommate tells me, pulling me into the door and slamming the door shut after I’m inside.

I nod, looking down at my phone and he scoffs. “I’ve never seen anything less entertaining in my life,” Kaede comments.

“Yes, but Rin…”

I raise my head to look at Kaede and that’s when I notice his swollen bottom lip and bruised cheek. He’s shirtless, so a quick glance at his body reveals more bruises on his stomach. “What happened to you?”

“Remember when you asked me about Ji Hoon? I was formally introduced to his fists, thanks to Shinobu,” he bites out, suddenly angry. “Apparently, my childhood friend Hiyori made a special request.”

I can’t help but snort. “I’m sure he did. You can’t possibly believe it.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he retorts, shrugging. “It’s not like I didn’t do shit to him some years ago. If I were him, I’d surely want me to pay.”

“So, what’s next? You’re going to take revenge for this, terrorize Hiyori again?” I ask, taking a step towards Kaede.

“Never mind that. Why did you decide to take a nap in the pool, during the 200 m free race?” he asks me, abruptly changing the subject.

“I…thank you for pulling me out of the water, Kaede.”

“Anytime, roommate,” he replies sarcastically.

“The blood tests revealed that I’d been given powerful sedatives,” I tell him and his sarcastic smile disappears.

“That’s fucked up.”

I nod, sighing as I sit on the edge of my bed. My head is still killing me, despite having been given painkillers at the hospital.

“Tell me you’ll leave Hiyori alone,” I request, pressing my palm over my forehead. “He’s dealing with enough shit from Ji Hoon right now.”

Kaede never gets to reply, because there’s a knock to the door. Since he’s close, my roommate is the one who opens the door. I get up immediately when I see Rin, but he raises a hand, motioning for me not to come closer.

I freeze in my spot and watch my boyfriend enter the room, close the door behind him and then lean with his back against it.

“Did you see it?” he asks. His voice sounds defeated.

I nod, unable to speak because of the knot in my throat.

“I assume you read the comments,” he adds. His eyes look haunted by the despicable things I’ve read as well.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you’re acting as if someone died,” Kaede comments, raising his arms in frustration. “I can’t witness this,” he mutters, then grabs a T shirt and starts putting it on as he motions for Rin to move out of his way.

My boyfriend looks after Kaede, as if he wants to leave as well. A few seconds later, though, he turns to look at me again and says the words I’ve been dreading to hear.

“Haru, we need to talk.”


	60. Rin's POV

Sousuke gives me a one armed hug as soon as I step inside the apartment.

“What did Mikhail say?”

“That I shouldn’t worry too much about it, he’ll work with Azuma to clean this mess up,” I reply and my best friend lets out a sigh of relief.

“Did you see Haru?” Sayuri asks when I enter the living room.

I’m ashamed of myself when I shake my head. I’ve been so busy trying to solve the problem that I didn’t have time to go to the hospital.

“I’ve been to the hospital with Hanabi,” she says, with harsh edge to her voice. “She talked with the doctors and they said he’d ingested some powerful sedatives.”

My phone vibrates with the tenth message from my sister. I’m embarrassed because my little sister had to watch a video of me kissing another guy, one that she’s friends with. I also have lots of messages from former high school classmates and old friends from Australia. One of the messages worries me, because the guy promises to make my problem disappear and I don’t know what that actually means.

“I hope you know you’re not the only one who has to deal with this,” the chestnut haired girl snaps.

“Sayuri, that’s enough, he’s been through a lot,” Sousuke tries, joining her on the sofa.

“Haru almost drowned and you’re telling me Rin has been through a lot?” 

“Sayuri…”

She scoffs, then stomps towards the bedroom and slams the door behind her.

”Don’t take what she said to heart, Rin. I know Haru is your boyfriend, but you have to think about yourself first,” he says, sighing. “As cruel as that may sound.”

“She’s right, though,” I murmur and Sousuke raises his head, surprised. “Haru almost drowned today. If Kinjou hadn’t pulled him out of the pool in time…”

“But he did, don’t wreck your brain over what it could’ve happened,” Sousuke cuts me off. “Rin, you know what I would normally advice you to do, right?”

I open my mouth to protest, but he raises a hand to stop me.

“Just ask yourself if you’re really in love with him, Rin, that’s all I’m asking. I’ll support you, whatever you decide to do, you know this. You’re my best friend. But don’t put your dream in danger if you plan to dump him anyways.” He pauses and stares at me until I nod, then continues. “Now call your sister and mother, Gou has been texting me the whole fucking day. I have to go get scolded by my girlfriend,” he mutters and I can’t help but chuckle.

I sit on the sofa and decide to call my mother. My eyes fill with tears as soon as I hear her voice.

“Rin, honey,” she says, sighing deeply. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” I reply, trying to control myself. “Mom, I’m so sorry you had to find out like this.”

There’s a pause and my stomach tightens.

“I’d lie if I said I was surprised,” she eventually tells me. “I was always wondering for how long are you going to break that boy’s heart, Rin.”

“What?” I ask in disbelief.

“At first, I thought you were oblivious to his affection, but then it just occurred to me that you simply didn’t feel the same way. Still, you had an unhealthy amount of obsession for Haruka, always going on and on about swimming with him, against him, beating him, then swimming together with him again.” My mother chuckles. “I just understood you’re a little dense.”

“Mom, this is uncomfortable,” I reply, blushing, even though she can’t see me.

The thought of my mother knowing I liked Haru in a romantic way before I even realized it myself is embarrassing, to say the least.

“Just promise to take care of yourself, Rin,” she tells me. “I wish I could be there with you, honey. Remember, for me, nothing has changed. I love you like I always do.”

“Thanks, mom. It means a lot.”

I talk to Gou a little after that, she’s curious about Haru and I just tell her that he’s still sleeping. I can’t bring myself to admit that after watching him almost drown, I didn’t even go visit him at the hospital.

Sousuke and Sayuri come out of their bedroom a little after I end the phone call. She seems a little calmer now.

“Asami texted me, she said she talked to Haru,” she says, still frowning when she looks at me. “Also, Ikuya said he and Azuma are taking him back to the hotel.”

“I think you should call him and go see him tomorrow. It’s late and you don’t know who might recognize you and try to hurt you,” Sousuke tells me.

“Stop smothering him,” the chestnut haired girl intervenes. “Rin, it’s your call, but mark my words. I’ll do my best to convince Haru that you’re not worthy of his love.”

“You’re such a hypocrite, Sayuri,” Sousuke replies, rolling his eyes. “You told me not to meddle anymore and look at you.”

“She’s right, Sousuke,” I mutter.

She flashes him a grin and shows him the middle finger, which makes him rub the bridge of his nose and sigh. 

“You’re so immature, Sayuri.”

“I never said I wasn’t,” she retorts, sticking her tongue out at him. “Now shoo,” she adds, turning to me. “Go comfort your boyfriend.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I’m glad Kaede had the decency to leave and let me and Haru talk. I look at my boyfriend, frozen in the middle of the room as he stares at me, as if waiting for me to break up with him and I recall my mother’s words.

I know how hard things have been for Haru, how it upset him that I wanted to keep our relationship hidden. How cruel I’ve been to him every time I got jealous or envious of his swimming.

“Sousuke told me not to come,” I settle on saying after a long pause. “No one recognized me, though,” I add, pointing at my oversize hoodie.

“Are you okay?” Haru asks me, then sits back down on the edge of his bed.

My chest tightens because he’s still thinking about my well being. I don’t deserve him.

“Unlike you, I didn’t almost drown,” I reply, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up,” I apologize as I start walking towards him. “How are you feeling?”

The brunet stares at me as I approach him, a mixture of fear and yearning in his eyes. “My head still hurts and I’m a little dizzy.”

I stop right in front of him and he wraps his arms around my body, resting my head on my stomach. “Rin, I can’t take it anymore. Just say what you came here to say.”

“Some of my friends from Australia texted me to offer their support, only one threatened to make all my problems disappear. I also talked to my mother and sister about the video. I basically came out to them on the phone.”

I know I’m stalling, but I have no idea what to say. I’m thinking about what Sousuke told me, to ask myself if I really love Haru. It wouldn’t be fair for him to fight for me when I’m not fully commited.

“It’s out in the open now, Rin. What are you going to do?” he insists, tilting his head back so he can look at me.

I gently caress his cheek and Haru cradles his head into my palm, just like a cat.

I can’t resist anymore. I place both hands on his cheeks, keeping his head in place as I bend down and capture his lips in a kiss. One of my hands slides into his silky hair and I grab a fistful of it as I deepen the kiss, hungrily licking at his mouth.

I end the kiss as sudden as I start it, then kneel in front of Haru and pull him into a tight embrace.

“Haru, I’ll do whatever I can to prove that I’m a man worthy of your love,” I tell him and I feel him shudder. “I know I haven’t been treating you the way you deserve and I made you endure so much, but I promise you, no more of that.”

His whole body relaxes and it makes me feel extremely guilty. He really was expecting me to leave him behind, just so I could save myself, which only proves what a dickhead I’ve been.

“I love you, Rin,” he tells me, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“I love you, too,” I reply, raising my head to look at him.

Haru lowers his head and presses his lips to mine, sealing our promise to each other with a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~

Haru and his coach are already in the restaurant of the hotel when me and Mikhail arrive. Haru smiles at me when I sit down opposite to him and Azuma lets out a sigh.

“I see you’re choosing the hard way,” he comments, folding his arms over his chest.

“It’s not like we expected anything else, right, Ryuji?” Mikhail says, chuckling.

We’re silent as a waitress brings us four cups of coffee, then he turns in his chair so that he can face both me and Haru.

“You know there’s going to be a press conference when the competition ends, so that reporters can grill the medalists. Haruka already has a gold medal for the 50 m free and I’m sure you’ll win at least one of your butterfly races today. My question is, Rin…what do you want to answer when the reporters ask about the video leaked on Instagram?” he asks, staring right into my eyes.

“That me and Haru are together,” I reply, feeling a little intimidated already.

“Haruka,” Azuma intervenes. “Will you back up what Rin said?”

The brunet nods, not even a hint of hesitation in his gesture.

“Well, then, until the press conference, refrain from meeting, so you don’t create more embarrassing material, concentrate on your remaining races and never leave your room alone,” he instructs Haru and Mikhail nods.

“I’m actually happy that you chose to stay at an apartment with your friends, Rin, you don’t have to interact with other swimmers when you’re not at the swim center. Just prepare for their cruel comments and don’t take them to heart, people are cruel because they’re frustrated with their own problems. They think they’ll feel better if they make other people feel worse.”

I nod and Haru does the same, his ocean blue eyes reassuring me that we’re doing the right thing.


	61. Asami's POV

I tighten my body and jump, then perform the rotations and land my quad Axel perfectly. I stop to regain my breath and Ritsu starts sliding towards me.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, because I realized I don’t like where the exhibition skate is going so far,” he tells me, pointing to the dark circles around his eyes to emphasize his words.

“Okay. Why?”

Ritsu gathers some of his hair and ties it up in a top knot. “I think it’s too boring. Remember how enthusiastic you were when I first choreographed your short program?”

I nod. “Yeah, because I practically got to impersonate you when you were young.”

His hand is in my hair in an instant, ruffling it violently. “I’m still young,” he counters.

“Hey!” I yell, trying to push his hands away.

Ritsu grabs one of my hands, suddenly pulling me forward. He wraps the other one around my waist and starts spinning. I follow his lead, patiently waiting for him to communicate his new ideas. My coach always gets in a playful mood when he’s choreographing my programs, he skates with me randomly until his thoughts are in order.

I think he’s a genius. However, when I told him this, he immediately dismissed my words.

“How is your brother feeling?” he acts, pressing his palm to the small of my back.

I arch backwards so low that the top of my head almost touches the ice. My black hair pools around my head and starts gathering crushed ice as Ritsu slides back. He pulls me up eventually, lifting me effortlessly and playfully swinging me over his shoulder.

I gasp, surprised and he starts laughing. “Sorry,” he says, gently putting me down. “I got carried away.”

I wave a hand. “Don’t worry about it. Haru’s okay, I think.”

“The first scandal is always tough,” he says. “I still remember mine.”

“Do share the gossip, please.”

He snorts. “I was photographed having sex with another male skater, on the balcony of my hotel room.”

My mouth drops open. “Damn, Ritsu. What happened?”

“Our coaches tried to solve the problem by saying the photos are fake. The other guy quit figure skating after that season and probably hates me to this day. I, on the other hand, got over it and got on with my life.”

“What about bullying?” I ask, hoping I won’t reopen old wounds.

Ritsu looks a bit sad as he remembers. “I dealt with it, ignored the name calling and stayed away from trouble for a while.”

“Until you decided to screw your coach,” I say, because I know about this scandal from Sayuri.

The brunet throws his head back, laughing. “Oh, yeah. In my defense, she was hot and she always flirted with me. Still, we denied everything and parted ways. Do you know why I kept you around for so long?” he asks me, abruptly changing the subject.

“Because I’m the best female skater around?”

He chuckles, but shakes his head. “No, because of your ability to avoid scandals. You’ve never forced me to clean up your mess.”

I look away. “Except that one creepy time.”

He shakes his head. “I truly believed you had no idea of what she did in the waiting room. You creeped me out a little, but at the same time, I appreciated that you were not sensitive. You were a figure skater above everything.”

I push my hip into his, trying to unbalance him. “Weirdo.”

“How am I the weird one here?” he asks, shaking his head. “Anyways, what did your brother decide about the video?”

I let out a deep sigh. “Haru told me he and Rin decided to admit they’re dating. To say that the video isn’t fake.”

“It may turn out better in some ways. At least they have each other.” He gently pats my shoulder. “I know you’re worried, Asami, but as a coach, I don’t think it’s a good idea to fly to Seoul to support them. The Grand Prix Final is too close.”

I nod. “I know, I won’t let that blonde whore take gold from me again.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Ritsu swings an arm over my shoulders, then lowers his head and kisses my cheek. 

“Let’s try to come up with a suitable step sequence for that song you chose,” he says as he slides away from me.

We both put our earbuds in and I get ready to copy Ritsu’s movements.

~~~~~~~~~~

I drop on my bed face first, completely exhausted. I’ve had a quick dinner with Ritsu after practice and decide to spend the rest of my evening in my room. To be honest, I’m glad we left Moscow after Ikuya’s departure. I feel better in Sankt Peteresburg, where I don’t have to see Elizabeth’s stupid face every day.

Also, having Victor and Yuri as neighbors in this apartment building is amazing.

My phone starts vibrating and I sigh as I push my hand towards the nightstand, blindly searching for it. I groan when I see it’s just a private message from an unknown user on Instagram and not a text message, so I just throw my phone in the other half of the bed, then pull the blanket over my head.

I ignore the next four times it buzzes, but then snatch it and open it as I mutter a curse under my breath.

I think all this shit that keeps happening has desensitized me. I feel nothing as I look at the photos of a teal haired boy making out with a blonde girl. They’re supposed to be Ikuya and Tatiana, probably. I save the photos and send them to Ikuya, surprised that he sends me one of me and Ritsu.

I get up in a sitting position, a little shocked. Judging by our clothes, the photo has been taken today. Ritsu has one arm around my shoulders and I remember him kissing my cheek, but the angle from which the photo is taken makes it look like we’re kissing.

My phone vibrates and I open the text message from Ikuya.

_This is beginning to tire me. Me and Tatiana are not even in the same country._

_I know, the photos of you are clearly fake. I’m a little worried about mine, though. It was taken today._

There’s a pause before Ikuya video calls me.

“Asami, are you sure?”

I nod. “He was in his playful mood again, because he wants to change the choreography for my exhibition skate and he just kissed me on the cheek. Never mind the angle and what is looks like, what I’m worried about is that someone was spying on us!”

“It’s Tatiana, love. She’s in Sankt Petersburg with Yuri and Yakov, right?”

I shake my head. “Yes, but it still creeps me out. How are things in Seoul?”

“Things seemed to have calmed down, but as a precaution, we never let Rin or Haru wander the hotel alone. We try to stay together.”

“Thank you, Ikuya. I’m sure you’re all tense.”

“I can’t wait to return to Tokyo and leaves this behind,” he says. “Just three more days, the butterfly and backstroke races, the individual medley and freestyle relay and then the dreaded press conference.”

“I miss you,” I tell him, pouting. “Ritsu wouldn’t let me go to Seoul.”

He chuckles. “It’s okay, Asami. We’ll see each other in Barcelona.”

I nod. “Just take care of yourself, Ikuya.”

“Likewise.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I set alarms on my phone so I won’t miss any of the remaining races. I practice my quad Axel or the new choreography with Ritsu between live streams, but I’m happy to get half a day of free time so I can watch the IM and the relays in peace.

In the morning, I get to watch Sayuri swim as anchor and win gold together with her teammates in the female medley relay. I make a mental note to video call her in the evening, so I can congratulate her properly.

I go to the gym and burn some calories on the treadmill as I wait for the male freestyle relay to start. I set my phone so I can see the screen perfectly, then adjust the speed so I can run at a moderate pace. 

I cheer loudly, forgetting where I am when I see Haru dive and swim faster than the others. His speed has improved a lot, thanks to his coach and the training camps he attended, so it’s no wonder he finishes first.

“Lady, keep it down,” a Russian guy tells me with a heavily accented English, laughing from the treadmill next to mine.

“Sorry,” I apologize, pulling one earbud out.

“What are you watching?” 

“The international swimming competition that’s taking place in Seoul,” I reply. “My brother’s team just won gold for the freestyle relay.”

“Congratulations,” he says, smiling. “I’m Emil.”

“Asami, nice to meet you. I hope you don’t mind, but my boyfriend’s race will start soon. I promise not to be so loud.”

His smile falters when I mention my boyfriend, but still he gives a thumbs up, before resuming his training.

I put my earbud back in and take my phone, deciding to switch to the stepper. I get excited as I watch Haru and Hiyori take third places on their respective starting blocks, just like the other swimmers do. My excitement starts to die down when I don’t see Ikuya joining them, but maybe he’s in the next heat.

Hiyori finishes first, followed closely by Haru. The swimmers are invited to get out of the pool as soon as the last one touches the wall, so that the next heat can start.

I get really worried when the second heat ends and they announce Hiyori’s name for the gold medalist. A swimmer from the second heat has a better time than Haru, pushing my brother down on the third place.

The Individual Medley is over and my boyfriend is nowhere to be seen.


	62. Ikuya's POV

I wake up groggy because of my phone’s incessant buzzing. It’s still a little dark outside as the sun is barely rising and the light of the display blinds when when I open my phone.

I manage to open my eyes eventually, surprised to see a message from Hiyori. He didn’t actually text any words, just shared his location.

I begin typing, asking him if he’s okay, when another message pops up.

_Help._

I blink a few times, then rub at my eyes and read the message again, making sure I’m actually awake. I try to call him, but it goes straight to voice mail.

I’m out of bed immediately, then throw a jacket over my sweat pants and T shirt. Hiyori is in trouble, maybe Ji Hoon is involved. Or Kaede. Maybe Kaede wants some revenge, after what Ji Hoon told him about my friend’s supposed request.

The location sent by Hiyori is not too far away, so I run out of the hotel, guided by the GPS. I arrive in less than twenty minutes when my phone vibrates to let me know I’ve reached my destination. 

I try to regain my breath as I stare at the odd looking building in front of me. It appears to be abandoned, so I look for a way in without making any noise. I find a broken window and carefully crawl through it, then start walking around.

I try to call Hiyori a few more times, but it goes to voice mail every time. As I walk around in the dark, using only the flashlight of my phone to guide me, I suddenly hear footsteps behind me.

I turn around and start running towards the noise, hoping that I’ll find Hiyori. I see light from under a door so I kick it open, but what I see makes me stop in my tracks.

There are five guys in the middle of the room, none of them being Hiyori, Ji Hoon or Kaede, like I expected. They turn to look at me and I notice that all of them have similar tattoos on their necks. I don’t know what kind of illegal shit I just discovered, but they’re definitely from a gang. And I just casually walked in on them.

Fuck.

I immediately turn on my heels and start running away, but the building is like a maze. I have no idea where the broken window I entered through is, so I run blindly through the corridors.

I can hear them behind me for a while…until I start hearing footsteps coming from in front of me.

Double fuck.

I desperately try a few doorknobs, until I find an unlocked one. I look around the room, cursing when I find it empty.

The door bursts open and the five thugs come inside, surrounding me. They yell something at me, but I don’t understand Korean. I raise my hands up, trying to tell them that I’m just lost, both in English and Japanese.

Two of them are handed a few small packages and dismissed with a curt hand gesture, but that leaves me with three. 

The remaining three men are staring at me, without saying anything. They’re completely blocking the door and a quick glance back offers me the view of a closed window. I don’t know if I’ll be able to open it in time, so I figure my best chance is to try to run past those three.

Better than standing here, waiting for them to get me.

The guy in the middle turns his head to the thug on his left and tells him something, so I try to use it as an opportunity to run. I manage to avoid the first one who tries to cut me off, but I’m still outnumbered.

The knee that collides with my stomach doesn’t even surprise me. I crumble to the floor, gasping in short, painful intakes of breath. One of them grabs me by the hair and pulls me up, so I gather my strength and swing my leg at him. I manage to hit him in the knee and he goes down with a painful yell, but in an instant, I see stars as another’s fist pounds me in the face. 

The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth and I spit. I don’t feel too much pain since the adrenaline must have kicked in. I swing my leg again, hitting one of them and forcing them to release me. I turn around and start running towards the window, then slam into it with one shoulder, hoping it will be enough to break it.

Hands grab at me and push me forward, so I slam into the window with much more force than I needed.

The first thing I feel is a sting on my cheek and the cool air on my skin, before I’m pulled back inside the room. Pain explodes in my side as I’m thrown down on the floor. I try to crawl in a fetal position and that’s when I notice the piece of glass protruding from my right side, above the hip.

The thugs kneel beside me and they look somewhat taken aback by the sight of my bloodied T shirt. They suddenly perk up when they hear a police siren. By the sound of it, it’s pretty close to the building, so they immediately get up and run away. 

Pure luck, I think to myself as the sound of the police siren starts to fade away after one minute. Still, they don’t come back.

I press a hand on my wounded side, moaning in pain as I try to get up. It feels like an eternity has passed until I manage to drag myself towards the broken window. I lean with my back against the wall, coughing and groaning as I force myself to get up.

The pain is unbearable and I know I won’t be able to move soon because of the blood loss, so this is my only change to get out. Screaming in pain, I manage to push myself through the window, painfully crumbling on the ground.

At least I’m outside. The morning air feels refreshing and I roll on my back, then start searching for my phone.

Of course, it’s gone. I don’t know when I lost it, during the run or the fight, I don’t remember.

My vision is beginning to be blurry as I look towards the road. I have to drag myself to the street, at least, so I have a chance at being found.

I try to get up, but it’s no use. I crawl on my hands and knees for a short while, but my vision is darkening around the edges already.

I’m almost on the pavement when darkness engulfs me.

~~~~~~~~~~

There’s an annoying beeping sound and I can’t sleep because of it. I start moving, thinking it’s an alarm or something at first, but when my right side burns with pain, I remember.

I gasp as I wake up completely, my vision still blurry so I’m not aware of my surroundings at first. However, as I force myself to calm down and blink a few times, I recognize the unmistakable features of a hospital room.

I try to move my hand and that’s when I notice someone else holding it. I lean on my elbows, making an effort to raise my body just a little, so I can look around the room better.

Asami is sleeping in an uncomfortable position, with her head nestled between her arms, on the edge of my bed. She was the one holding my hand.

I drop back on the bed, exhausted and the sudden movement wakes her up. She jerks up, scared as she looks at me, her eyes filling with tears.

“Ikuya,” she murmurs, her voice breaking as she gets up from her chair and carefully wraps her arms around my neck, resting her chin atop my head.

She releases me almost instantly. “Are you in pain? Do you want me to call a nurse?”

I grab her hand, squeezing her fingers. “Asami…what are doing in Seoul?”

The brunette looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. She blinks and opens her mouth, but no words come out at first.

“I…got worried when you wouldn’t answer your phone and no one knew where you were,” she eventually replies, with tears spilling from her eyes.

I place one hand on her cheek, wiping her tears away with my thumb.

“You had surgery, Ikuya,” she tells me, her voice quiet. “They had to remove your appendix, because it got damaged by the piece of glass…”

She swallows hard, forcing herself to calm down.

“Here,” she says, pouring water in a glass and gently pressing its edge to my lips. “Drink a little.”

Asami places one hand to the back of my head, helping me up a little so I can drink some water. 

“I thought I was going to lose my mind while I waited for my connection in Doha, because Haru had texted me that you were found, wounded, outside an abandoned building,” she mutters as she places the glass back on the small nightstand.

I brush my hand through her hair, trying to comfort her. “I know how long the flight from Sankt Petersburg is, you must be exhausted.”

“What happened, Ikuya?” she asks, grabbing my hand and pressing her lips against my knuckles. “Who did that to you?”

“I don’t know,” I reply. “I had received a message from Hiyori, asking me for help and a shared location so I just went, thinking that he was in trouble with Kaede or Ji Hoon. I didn’t really think about it until I stumbled upon five suspicious looking guys.”

“Hiyori’s phone was stolen the night before apparently,” she tells me, shaking her head. “Ikuya…this is serious. You could’ve died.”

I close my eyes, resting my head on the pillow.

“I’ll go call everyone and let them know you’re awake, then ask a nurse to come give you painkillers,” she says, getting up.

I catch her wrist, stopping her. “Stay with me five more minutes, Asami. Lie down next to me, love, you’re exhausted.”

She hesitates and looks towards the door, but I pull on her wrist again. I fall back asleep almost as soon as she lies down on the edge of the bed.


	63. Haru's POV

Asami was basically forced to leave by the nurses, the doctor, her coach and eventually Ikuya. Still, she agreed only after I promise to keep an eye on him until his brother and mother arrive in Seoul.

“Why did you have to tell Natsuya about this?” Ikuya complains as soon as I sit down on the uncomfortable chair next to his bed. “He and my mom were freaking out.”

My stomach clenches every time I look at the huge bruise on the left side of his face and the deep gash on his right cheek. I can’t imagine how my sister feels about this.

“I had to,” I reply sternly. “Just like Asami called me, Natsuya contacted Hiyori and he had to tell him the truth, why you didn’t make it to the IM.”

My head drops. “I feel guilty about swimming that race. I feel like we should have searched for you more…”

“You had no idea where I was and why I ended up there. I was the stupid one for going there alone,” he mutters, sighing. “How’s Hiyori?”

“He feels guilty as hell for not telling you about his stolen phone,” I reply, looking away. “He can’t face you because of that.”

“That’s…so like him,” Ikuya says. “He’s feeling guilty for something that has nothing to do with him. You have to tell him to come see me, I’m not mad at him, I promise.”

I nod and he changes the subject. “I heard about the doping tests, did you guys get your results?”

“No, we’re supposed to get them today anyways, right before the press conference or something.”

Ikuya groans. “That press conference is going to be horrible, I’m so sorry, Haru.”

I shrug with one shoulder. “They’re probably going to talk about that video so much that it will become boring. Words lose their meaning if they’re overused.”

The teal haired swimmer chuckles. “I see you’re fearless, like usual, Haru. How is Rin holding up?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” I respond, wincing.

We’re interrupted by a nurse, who comes to give Ikuya an antibiotic and a painkiller, and then Asami comes back.

“I was too anxious,” she says. “I just had another coffee, I’m fine,” she cuts me off even before I open my mouth.

Ikuya lets out a deep sigh. “Asami, love, you haven’t slept in two days. I don’t want you to collapse.”

My sister completely ignores him as she sits on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs. I know her stamina is high and she can’t still stand it, but the dark circles around her eyes don’t look too good.

“Haru, you can go take care of Rin. He looked like he would lose his mind soon,” Asami tells me, absent mindedly rubbing her thumb on Ikuya’s palm. 

She’s constantly touching him, as if making sure he’s really okay.

“Alright, just call me if you need anything,” I relent, getting up from my chair. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I click my tongue, then pull on my tie until I untie it. I’ve always hated ties. 

Me and Rin were told by out coaches to wait for them in a private waiting room, because Azuma has made a list of possible questions that we could be asked at the press conference.

Rin follows my movements with a tense look on his face and he gets up, angry with me when I throw the tie on the small table in front of us.

“Haru, what the fuck are you doing?”

“It’s uncomfortable,” I reply, my voice calm.

“You need to look presentable,” he insists, picking the tie up. “I’ll put it back on.”

I shake my head and it infuriates him.

“For fuck’s sake, Haru,” he growls, running his fingers through his crimson hair. “Why do you want to look like this?” he asks, waving his hand towards me.

“Like what?”

“Disheveled, even your hair is a mess, like you don’t care about yourself and you can’t be taken seriously. Do you want to look like this? Make them think you’re so untrustworthy?” he yells.

I grab him by his tie and pull him down, then press my mouth to his. I smile against his lips when I feel him relaxing. 

“Are you done?” I ask him.

One of his hands finds its way into my hair and he presses the other one on the nape of my neck, angling my head so he can kiss me properly. He pulls on my hair hard and slips his tongue between my lips, making me whimper.

“I believe my hair is truly a mess now,” I comment when he breaks the kiss.

Rin lets out a short laugh. “You get on my nerves, Nanase. I’d tie you up with the tie and fuck you until you’re obedient, if I could.”

A shiver runs through me when he settles his hungry eyes on me, his anger forgotten. He says nothing more as he brushes his fingers gently through my hair, making it look presentable, but I can still feel the intensity of his eyes, like fire on my skin.

I can’t wait to get this over with so we can finally have some time to ourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~

The meeting with our coaches is over for me, so I decide to let Rin go over the questions again with Azuma and Mikhail. I leave the room and start walking towards the cafeteria. I’m not in the mood for caffeine, but I guess a tea will be good for me.

I end up ordering a latte, then I make my way towards the table Hiyori and Hanabi are sitting at. I notice Hiyori’s pale face only when I’m closer to them.

“Hiyori?” I ask, concerned as I stop behind him.

They both turn to me and that’s when I see that the auburn haired swimmer is holding his phone. 

My eyes widen at the sight of it. “Is that your phone?” I ask.

Hiyori nods. “I just found it, right here, on this table,” he replies.

Something in my eyes must have given away my suspicion, because he immediately gets defensive. “I’m not lying, Haru.”

Hanabi places her hand on his shoulder and looks up at me with a frown. “This is not the time for this, Haru. Hiyori tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide. That means an anti-doping rule violation and he’ll be suspended.”

“That’s impossible,” the auburn haired swimmer murmurs. “It has to be a mistake. They have to let me take the test again.”

The brunette wraps her arms around him, trying to comfort him.

I sit on one of the chairs, shocked. All of us have passed the test, as far as I know, except for Hiyori. The video of me and Rin will not be the only thing discussed at the press conference. I bet they will attack him and say he doesn’t deserve his gold medals.

“These are pills, right?” I ask and they both raise their eyes at me. “Ji Hoon’s specialty is to put things in people’s drinks.”

“I wonder if I can make Shinobu tell me something useful,” Hanabi intervenes.

Hiyori shakes his head. “If that’s the case, then I’ll test positive again. He’ll make sure of it.” His eyes widen. “Do you think that’s why I won those races?”

“You won the IM because Ikuya wasn’t there to compete.”

We all turn to look at Shinobu, smirking as he leans against the wall, a cup of coffee in his hand. “You’re also thinking it, right sis? It makes sense, Hiyori was never this good.”

“Go back to sucking Ji Hoon’s dick,” the brunette snaps, but her eyes fill with tears.

It must be hard for her, seeing her beloved brother acting like this. They used to be pretty close, as far as I know.

“It makes you think he actually wanted his so called best friend gone, right?” Shinobu continues, undisturbed. 

“Take that back,” I counter, getting up from my chair. 

The brunet smiles as he watches me walk towards him. “Oh, come on, Haruka. You’re all blaming Ji Hoon, when in reality, you should look elsewhere. Hiyori is envious of Ikuya, just like your boyfriend gets jealous of you easily when you compete in the same freestyle race. Do you really still wonder who spiked your drink?”

“Rin wasn’t even competing that time,” I point out.

“Exactly. You didn’t even think about suspecting him and it’s probably because of his absence,” Shinobu presses.

I grab him by the front of his shirt, then slam his hard against the wall. “I suggest you stop running your mouth.”

Shinobu grips my wrists. “Why? It makes too much sense?”

Hanabi shakes her head. “It’s all fake and we know it.”

“Oh, please, sister. Do you really buy Hiyori’s story of having his phone stolen? He’s holding it right now.”

The brunette’s eyes widen. “How the fuck did you know about that? Only our close circle of friends and the policemen who talked to Ikuya know about this.”

For a second, Shinobu looks scared, like he let out something he shouldn’t have. Then, he slams his knee into my stomach, pushing me away and he immediately starts running towards the door. Hiyori follows him while Hanabi kneels next to me, but I know he didn’t react fast enough.

Instead of escaping through the open door, Shinobu crashes into Kaede, who’s casually entering the cafeteria.

“Kaede, don’t let him get away,” I yell.

The orange haired man grabs his brother by the shirt, preventing him from running away.

“Are you having fun without me, Haru?” Kaede asks, grinning.

~~~~~~~~~~

The personnel guides us all to our seats at the huge table and I squint my eyes at the small, black microphone. I’d lie if I said I’m not nervous at all. 

Kaede moves his head closer to mine. “I didn’t expect you to be alone.”

I glance at Rin’s empty seat and sigh. “He’ll be here.”

Hiyori raises his pale face at me and I nod at him. I want to be able to tell him everything will be fine, but I don’t want to lie to him.

Shinobu didn’t tell us anything useful, in spite of Kaede’s threats to skin him alive. Still, I didn’t allow my roommate to touch him, someone could have walked in on us anytime and we’d be in even bigger trouble than we are already. 

I breathe out a sigh of relief when Rin walks inside the conference room, quickly taking his seat next to me. He grabs my hand under the table, squeezing my fingers tight. I don’t ask him why he’s late, I just squeeze his hand back and murmur “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Haru,” he responds, managing a weak smile despite his nerves. “We’ll get through this together.”

Kaede makes a gagging noise and I elbow him in the side. I take a deep breath as soon as the press conference is declared open and the reporters start filling the large room.


	64. Rin's POV

“Nanase Haruka and I are childhood friends and currently in a relationship. However, this has nothing to do with our swimming. This is everything I’m willing to say on this subject.”

My heart is pounding hard enough to break my ribs and I feel like throwing up. The only thing keeping me together is Haru squeezing my hand underneath the table. I knew the reporters will finish with their routine questions about our swimming races. I was wondering if they would grill me and Haru first or Hiyori with his failed doping drug test.

A female reporter cleared my curiosity when she asked me about the video of me and Haru that appeared on Instagram and if it’s really us.

I hope Haru didn’t notice my hesitation when I answered her question. Had it not been for my boyfriend to be here with me and hold my hand, I would’ve probably been a coward and denied everything.

“Mr. Nanase, is this true?” the female reporter insists, turning to Haru. “I’m sure your fans believed the video to be fake.”

“I’m grateful to my fans for their support, but just like Rin said, our relationship has nothing to do with how we swim. It doesn’t matter if we date each other, when we’re in the pool, we’re rivals.”

Haru places his free hand on the table in front of him and leans back in his chair.

“After all, I only swim free.”

I want to laugh my ass off at his conclusion. I will never understand how he is able to end every statement he gives with that particular sentence and look cool, calm and collected when he speaks it.

After a few more questions that basically suggest that our relationship gets in the middle of our lives as athletes and it causes us to lose the support of fans, it’s finally over. I feel like I’m going to die, whereas Haru looks perfect, unaffected and even bored, like this press conference is keeping him from doing something more useful.

The reporters then start harassing Hiyori about the anti – doping rule violation.

“The test is a mistake, I’ll file a request to take it again,” the auburn haired swimmer repeats over and over, but he doesn’t look sure of himself at all. Every time one of the reporters speaks the word Hydrochlorothiazide, Hiyori looks like he’ll burst into tears.

I can’t help but notice the satisfaction on Ji Hoon’s face as Hiyori is attacked by the reporters. He only got one uncomfortable question in the beginning, about his lack of gold medals this competition, but he dismissed it immediately by bringing up some health issues. I bet he bribed a reporter to make him look good, because her questions revolved around how amazing Ji Hoon is, to have won a silver medal despite his unnamed health issues.

I breathe out a sigh of relief as soon as the press conference is over and we’re allowed to leave. I’m about to ask Haru to come with me to Sousuke’s apartment, when we see Kaede swing an arm around the shoulders of a girl.

“I’ll die without a drink,” he tells her and she chuckles.

Her hair is dyed dark blue at the roots and purple at the tips and she looks like she just walked out of a rock music video.

He notices me staring and he wraps both arms around her.

“This one is mine,” he threatens, making Haru laugh.

“Have fun, you two,” my boyfriend tells them. “Come, we have the room to ourselves for a while.”

“I had no idea Kaede has a girlfriend,” I remark, dumb founded.

“She asked him out on our first day in Seoul. She’s also a freestyle swimmer and apparently took part in the same training camp as us in Barcelona, but we didn’t notice her. She’s younger than us.”

I nod, then grab Haru’s hand. There’s a weird edge to his voice, like he’s not feeling well. As soon as we reach his hotel room, my boyfriend drops on his knees on the floor and covers his mouth with one hand.

“Haru, are you unwell?” I ask, kneeling next to him as I start panicking.

I place my hands on his shoulders and he leans into me. 

“That was horrible,” he murmurs, closing his eyes as he rests his head on my shoulder. “My stomach is killing me, my head feels like it will explode soon.”

I stare at him in disbelief. “But you looked so calm and unaffected…”

Haru raises his head and gives a dirty look. His eyes are red around the edges, like he’s barely keeping himself from crying, now that the tension is beginning to leave his body. I open my arms and he embraces me, pressing his cheek against my thigh. Haru is practically folded into my lap, with his eyes closed tight.

I brush my fingers through his hair, then move my palm down on his back, caressing him. I ended up misjudging him again, thinking that he’s perfectly fine, when in reality, he was suffering the same way as me.

“It’s over, Haru,” I murmur, leaning with my back against the wall. I tilt my head back, closing my eyes. “Now everybody knows.”

I know Haru needs water to relax when he’s stressed, but our coaches advised us to still refrain from showing our affection in public. 

“Let’s take a bath together,” I suggest and Haru perks up. “The bathtub here isn’t big enough for two people, but we can manage I guess.”

Instead of answering, the brunet gets up on his knees and places both hands on the sides of my face, before pressing his lips softly against mine.

~~~~~~~~~~

I fold my arms over Haru’s abdomen, letting out a content sigh. I think this is the first time I’ve convinced my boyfriend to take an actually hot bath with me, instead of the lukewarm ones he usually prefers.

The bathtub isn’t big enough for two people, just like I said, but having Haru’s back pressed tightly against my chest doesn’t bother me at all.

I press my lips to his shoulder, then kiss my way to the nape of his neck. The brunet doesn’t react in any way and it pisses me off, so I open my mouth and sink my teeth hard into his nape, marking the sensitive skin just below his hairline.

Haru gasps and tries to pull away, but I wrap my arms around his body and keep him in place until I’m satisfied with the round bite marks on his skin.

“Rin,” he protests, whimpering. “It hurts,” he mutters, covering the bite marks with one of his hands.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, my voice completely unapologetic as my hands travel down on his body.

I grab him and start to slowly move my hand along his dick. I sink my teeth into his shoulder and he moans, tensing when I tease his tip with my thumb.

I help him turn around so he can face me, then I place both hands on his neck. I tilt his head back, then lower mine and move my tongue along his bottom lip, before kissing him.

“I’ve missed being this close to you,” I murmur against his lips.

Haru wraps his arms around my neck, pulling me even closer as he slams his mouth onto mine. We spill water all over the bathroom when he hooks his legs behind my back.

“I want you on the bed, Haru,” I tell him, breaking the kiss.

“I won’t let go,” he replies, tightening his arms and legs around me.

“You’re not exactly light,” I counter, but he ignores me.

All that’s left is to make sure not to slip. I’m panting when I reach the bed and fall forward, barely keeping my weight from crushing Haru. My tongue finds its way into his mouth as soon as his back hits the mattress. 

I kiss my way down to his chest, enjoying the little sounds he makes when I flick my tongue over one of his nipples. I lick my way down on his body and Haru moans when I wrap my lips around the tip of his dick. I tease him with my tongue, before I swallow him whole.

Haru leans on his elbow and pushes a hand into my hair, gripping it tight. I bob my head, guided by him, almost gagging when he thrusts his hips forward.

“Rin, I’m at my limit,” he tells me between moans and I raise my head.

Hot liquid spills on my chest, but I barely register it as I turn Haru around. I lick my way up his spin and he whimpers, then I stretch my hand towards the nightstand. I start searching inside the drawer, while I’m kissing Haru’s shoulder and that’s when I hear someone say “He doesn’t have anything useful in there.”

I freeze with my hand inside the drawer for a second and then I start fumbling with the blanket underneath Haru’s body, not knowing if I should cover myself or him. Kaede starts laughing and it pisses me off.

“How long have you been there?” I demand, feeling my cheeks burning.

“I just got here,” he replies, rolling his eyes. “I texted Haru, called him, even knocked on the door when I got here…”

The brunet lets out an irritated sigh. “Weren’t you out on a date?” he cuts Kaede off.

“She’s on the hallway, you idiot, since I didn’t get any response from you, I thought you weren’t here, but still, I made her wait in the hallway so she wouldn’t have your asshole greet her, the orange haired man retorts angrily. “Now put some clothes on and get your asses out of here.”

“We flooded the bathroom,” I comment, enjoying Kaede’s angry blush. 

The door starts opening and a female voice asks in annoyance “What’s taking so long…oh.”

Kaede’s date stops in the open door, her lips forming a perfect circle as she stares at us. She turns around a second later, slapping her hands over her eyes. “I’m so sorry!” she yells.

“You’re dead,” Kaede threatens Haru, brushing his thumb against his own neck in a cutting motion. “Kyoko, please, let’s go somewhere else.”

“Bye, Kyoko,” Haru says, unabashed. “Ah, he did text and call,” he adds, checking his phone. 

I pass a hand over my face. “I want to die.”

He shrugs. “Shit like this happens when we don’t share a room. It’s normal,” he tells me. 

“Can we agree that the mood is completely ruined?” I ask.

“Let’s order some food,” Haru replies.

~~~~~~~~~~

The bathroom is immaculate, we have clothes on, we ordered more food than we can eat and I honestly can’t believe we’re sharing it with Kaede and his new girlfriend. When Haru said she’s younger than us, I didn’t expect she had just turned eighteen. 

Kaede looks like he’d give anything to be elsewhere right now, but apparently Kyoko insisted they came back after a while, so she can be formally introduced to the best freestyle swimmer in Japan.

She’s sweet and aggressive at the same time, but Haru handles her well. He patiently answers all of her questions about swimming, oblivious to Kaede’s ever growing annoyance.

“You can ask me all those things, Kyoko,” he mutters, angrily biting into his slice of pizza.

The girl pouts. “I wanted that slice.”

Kaede stops himself from taking another bite and begrudgingly offers it to her. She grins, flipping her hair over one shoulder. I almost can’t believe that the predator bully can act like this with someone else.

I still don’t trust him and I’ll probably never will, but I’m relieved that his attention isn’t on Haru anymore.

“Haruka – san, why did they make such a fuss with you and Rin – san?” she suddenly asks. 

I tense, but Haru doesn’t seem to mind the question.

“Because some people aren’t comfortable with us being together, which means the reporters can turn us into a scandal,” he replies patiently.

Kaede scoffs at the simple explanation. “At least no one comes to discipline you anymore.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

Haru clears his voice. “It’s nothing, Rin, don’t worry about it.”

“An Australian swimmer threatened Haru right in front of our door,” the orange haired man responds, ignoring my boyfriend.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, a bit hurt that I was the last one to find out.

“Because nothing happened, he just acussed me of ruining your career or something, but he didn’t actually do anything to me,” Haru replies, giving Kaede a dirty look.

“If that’s the case,” Kyoko starts, interrupting us, “then why don’t they treat Junnie the same way?”

We’re all instantly go silent and turn to look at her. Kyoko sips from her juice, blinking at us with her huge, chocolate brown eyes.

“What?”

“Why did you say that about Junnie?” Haru asks, picking up a paper plate and selecting the largest slice of pizza, before offering it to her.

Nice, Haru, I think to myself. Keep stuffing her with pizza and make her spill everything she knows.

“He’s gay, too,” she replies. “And the type that can’t do without a boyfriend. I don’t know if he’s currently dating anyone right now, we’re not close anymore. He cut me off completely from his life.”

“You were friends with Junnie?” I ask, trying to keep the conversation going.

“Well, sort of. I grew up in Seoul, only moved back to Japan when I started middle school. His sister was my best friend, despite being older than me and even after I moved back to Tokyo I would still take trips to Seoul to visit her. Sometimes my parents even let me go to her events.”

“What events?” Haru inquires.

“Figure skating events. She was a figure skater,” she replies, pushing her empty paper plate towards Haru.

The brunet places another slice of pizza on her plate. “Was?”

She nods, her face clouding. “She slit her wrists before the Grand Prix Final, when she was seventeen. She had been struggling with depression because of an abusive ex boyfriend, but she would always stop taking her medication when she skated during events.” Kyoko shakes her head. “Junnie was never the same. He loved her a lot.”

Haru’s face is deathly pale as he hears her story and it worries me.

“Ah, I’m sorry for dumping this on you,” Kyoko apologizes with an embarrassed laugh. “You’re just so easy to talk to and I…”

Kaede swings an arm over her shoulders. “Don’t apologize, it probably feels good to share such heavy stuff with other people, right?”

She nods, smiling at him. “Yes. Can we order another pizza?”

“Sure,” he replies, glancing at us for a second.

It’s clear that he’s had enough of us. Haru still looks shocked and I think it will be good for him if we go out for some fresh air.

“Count us out,” I say, as I begin to get up. “Haru, want to go for a walk?”

He nods and I grab his hand, helping him up.


	65. Hiyori's POV

“Mr. Lee, what happened to you during this competition?” a male reporter asks Ji Hoon. “As the national current holder of the record in the 200 m backstroke, the whole country is disappointed in your performance.”

It’s a harsh comment and I notice the corners of Ji Hoon’s mouth trembling a little. He probably didn’t expect the attack right from the start.

“I deeply apologize for my performance,” he starts, looking down.

He’s such a good actor that he makes me want to throw up.

“Unfortunately, health issues prevented me from giving it my all, but I promise to make it up in the next competitions.”

The guy opens his mouth to comment further, but a female reporter stands, cutting him off.

“Mr. Lee, let me start by offering my congratulations for your silver medal in the 200 m backstroke race.”

The reporter looks at Ji Hoon with huge, brown eyes and an adoring smile on her lips. The Korean swimmer bows his head to her, accepting her congratulations, then leans back into his chair. 

It’s obvious to me that they know each other.

“Can you tells more about your health issues?” she asks.

Ji Hoon pretends to be uncomfortable. “Health problems that every swimmer deals when they overexert themselves during training.”

She nods, as if that’s enough. “That’s understandable. What are your future plans?”

“Taking part in the upcoming competition in Australia, that’s for sure. I want to make my country proud of me.”

The reporter smiles. “Winning a silver medal even though you’re struggling with health problems is amazing, I’m sure everyone is looking forward to seeing you shine in Australia.”

I can’t help it, I roll my eyes so hard I almost see the back of my head. The reporter notices me, however and she immediately turns to me.

“Mr. Toono, you’re the swimmer with the most gold medals at this competition.”

I freeze and the satisfaction is visible on her face.

“I understand you tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide,” she continues, smiling for a second. “What can you tell us about that?”

“The test is a mistake, I’ll file a request to take it again,” I reply, hoping I manage to look as calm as Haru during his questioning.

“What makes you say that?” another reporter inquires. “The lab that tested you and the other swimmers is one of the best in Seoul.”

I blink, pausing for a second to regain control of myself. However, the reporters mistake it as my hesitation to answer and they immediately strike again.

“Mr. Lee, you and Mr. Toono attended the same training camp, am I right?” the female reporter that praised Ji Hoon asks again.

“That’s right,” he replies immediately. “He started swimming amazingly fast by the end of the training camp. It’s no wonder he did so well on his races.”

“Did you start taking Hydrochlorothiazide even before the competition? Maybe during the training camp?” a male reporter intervenes.

“No,” I reply, brushing a hand through my hair. “My wins are the result of hard work. I’ll file a request to take the doping drug test again, because it’s not correct.”

“Mr. Toono, calm down. Are you experiencing dizziness, headaches, tingling in your arms and legs?” another reporter asks.

He’s mocking me, I can feel it in the tone of his voice. Those are some side effects that Hydrochlorothiazide causes, even I know that.

“No, I’m not experiencing any of these things, because the test is a mistake.”

I realize I’ve wrapped both arms around my body as if trying to protect myself from their never stopping blows. I clear my voice and straighten my back, then fold my hands in front of me, on the table.

I hope they don’t notice how hard my hands are shaking.

A new reporters stands up. “What about…”

His question is cut off by an unexpected loud noise. We all turn our heads to Kaede, who has just slammed a bottle of water on the table.

“This is boring,” he says, picking up the bottle and throwing it in the air, before slamming it back on the table, just as loud. “And it pisses me off. When are you going to ask the rest of us questions?”

The reporter who’s standing is caught off guard. However, it would be embarrassing to just sit down and let go of his question, so he just turns his attention to Kaede.

I breathe out a sigh of relief. I can’t believe I was saved by Kaede just now.

“Mr. Kinjou, what can you tell us about your training routine? Having so many achievements in such a short time is impressive.”

“I don’t have one,” he replies mockingly. “I’m simply a prodigy,” he adds, grinning as he stretches his legs on the table in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ikuya groans as he watches me peel an apple for him. “Give it to me, I can do it myself.”

“I don’t mind,” I reply, shrugging, then offer him the sliced apple on a small plate.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks me, picking up a slice of apple and squinting his eyes at it. 

“About what?” 

I pretend not to understand, because I don’t want to think about it. Immediately after the press conference ended, my coach helped me file a request to take the test again, but even he said that there’s little chance for it to be approved.

“I just want to know if you’re okay,” my best friend mutters.

I place my hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, Ikuya. I’ll be fine.” 

Looking at his messed up face and thinking about the wound that he sustained and the surgery that followed, my problem feels a million times smaller than his.

“You’re facing a two years ban, Hiyori. How can you say that? Of course I’m worried.”

I plaster a fake smile on my face. “I filed a request to take the test again. I’m sure…”

Ikuya groans, interrupting me. “You can voice your fears, Hiyori. You can talk to me.”

Fortunately, the door opens right then and Asami walks in. She muffles a yawn as she adjusts the cord attached to her skates on her shoulder.

“Hey, love. How are you feeling today?” she says, walking towards Ikuya.

She gently kisses the top of his head and he swings an arm around her waist. “I’m okay.”

“Hiyori, I see you survived,” she comments, sitting on the edge of the bed. “How was the press conference?”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t even ask me. If I never hear the word Hydrochlorothiazide again, it will be too soon.”

“How was practice?” Ikuya asks her.

“Strenuous,” she replies, massaging her left ankle. “Did you eat?”

“Yes, a tasteless soup and then Hiyori forced half an apple down my throat,” he says, sticking his tongue out at me and I chuckle.

Asami picks a slice and throws it into her open mouth. “Here, I helped you. You can eat the rest now.”

We keep chatting for a while, until her phone starts ringing. 

“Hey, Haru.”

Asami’s expression changes from relaxed to shocked because of whatever Haru is telling her. However, she manages to control her facial expression soon and ends the call after a minute or so.

“Did something happen?” Ikuya inquires, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers together.

She looks at me, hesitating for a second, before she shakes her head.

“No, some quarrel between my parents. Mom called Haru to complain and he let me know I have to talk to dad,” she replies, but it’s obvious she’s lying.

However, neither Ikuya, nor I question her further. She must have a reason to keep the truth from us.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hanabi presses both hands on my shoulders, kneading them with her fingers. I let out a content sigh, relaxing my whole body.

My girlfriend spared me and didn’t ask me anything about the press conference. Instead, she ordered some Japanese food and picked up a new movie for us.

Not knowing how to help, Arisu simply picks up Nana, her white fat cat and places it on my lap. I brush a hand through the white fur and the cat immediately starts purring. Feeling left aside, Sushi meows in disapproval, before she jumps on my leg, then curls around on my thigh. 

“I don’t know if it helps, but I believe you,” she tells me, ruffling my hair.

Hanabi chuckles. “It helps, he just won’t say it.”

I roll my eyes at Hana, then turn to look at her aunt. “Thank you, Arisu – san.”

The black haired tattoo artist plops unceremoniously on an armchair and folds her legs underneath herself. She takes one of the boxes with noodles and opens it, which is enough for Nana to get up from my lap and jump over to Arisu.

I can’t help but laugh when I see the woman wrestle with her cat over a piece of chicken.

My phone vibrates and I take it out of my pocket, then read the message. It’s from Asami.

_I’m outside. Come talk to me, but don’t tell Hanabi._


	66. Asami's POV

“That was fast,” I comment, watching him approach me.

Hiyori adjusts his glasses and looks at me up and down. “With everything that’s been happening, I half expected not to find you here. How did you know about this place?”

“I have my ways,” I reply, chuckling when he squints his eyes at me. “I asked Ikuya, chill. What did you tell Hanabi?”

“Her aunt commented there was no chocolate in the house and I offered to go buy some. I walked out the door before she had a chance to refuse,” he explains and I nod.

“Cool, let’s go to a convenience store.”

We walk in silence for a few seconds, before Hiyori says “You asked me to come so we can talk. Talk, Asami.”

I brush a hand through my hair, debating whether to tell him the whole story or just what I found out from Haru.

“Kaede has a new girlfriend,” I start and he snorts.

“What, are you jealous or something?”

I pass a hand over my face. “No, dickhead. That girlfriend of his used to be friends with Ji Hoon. More specifically, his sister.”

Hiyori widens his eyes. “How did you…”

“Haru,” I reply, interrupting him. “Long story short, the girl is a chatterbox and she ended up telling my brother about that. Apparently, Ji Hoon changed after his sister’s death.”

“I can understand that, the death of someone you love changes you. I’m sorry for his sister, but what does that have to do with us?”

I pause, then think, to hell with it. I decide to tell him about the figure skater who struggled with depression and slit her wrists in my waiting room, right before my first Grand Prix Final as a senior.

Hiyori’s face shows pure shock. “How could you…”

“Yes, I’m a horrible person, nothing you will say I haven’t already told myself,” I cut him off. “The point is, now we know why Ji Hoon did horrible things to Haru and Ikuya. They are the two people I love the most.”

He shakes his head. “Yes, but it doesn’t add up. Why attack Kaede, humiliate Rin as well and bully me?”

“Rin was collateral damage,” I answer immediately, because it’s the most plausible. “There was no way Ji Hoon could’ve humiliated Haru without involving Rin as well. Kaede was the one who saved Haru, maybe Ji Hoon wanted to teach him a lesson not to meddle again.”

Hiyori nods. “Also, I don’t know if Ikuya told you, but Ji Hoon mentioned to Kaede that I was the one who asked him and Shinobu to beat my former bully up, as payback for what he did to me in the past.”

“So maybe he just wanted Kaede to torment you again, as retribution,” I suggest.

“But why me?” Hiyori asks.

“That’s where Shinobu comes into the story. Hanabi’s brother and Ji Hoon are always together, did you notice? Also, Kaede’s girlfriend said that the Korean swimmer is gay and the type to always have a boyfriend.”

Hiyori’s eyes widen. “Do you think Shinobu and Ji Hoon are together?”

“It’s a possibility. Shinobu is a backstroke swimmer, maybe he just wants you out of the picture, both because you’re his rival and because Ji Hoon expressed an interest in you. Ji Hoon needs Shinobu for his dirty work, so it’s natural Hana’s brother would ask for something in return.”

The auburn haired man sighs. “So that’s why you didn’t want Hanabi to know I was coming to meet you.”

I nod. “I need proof for these things, though. I think it’s the perfect time to follow Ji Hoon and Shinobu and see what they’re up to. I’m supposed to be busy with Ikuya and you’re worried about the failed doping test, so I’m guessing their guard is down.”

“So you need my help,” he says and I nod.

“I was thinking that you could try to get closer to Ji Hoon, fake a sudden interest in him, I don’t know. Just record him saying stuff that incriminates him or something.”

“What are you going to do if I get that proof?” he inquires, raising an eyebrow.

“Payback, of course,” I reply, waving my hand. “I’ll do to them exactly what they did to my brother and boyfriend.”

Hiyori pauses as he looks at me. “Does Ikuya know about your plan?”

I shake my head. “Ikuya needs rest and time to heal, I won’t burden him with this.”

“My answer is no, Asami. Shinobu is Hana’s brother, I don’t want him to get hurt,” he says. “Besides, getting revenge like that means you’re just like them. Everything started because Ji Hoon thinks you’re responsible for his sister’s suicide. What if you just confront him and apologize or something, instead of continuing this pointless war?”

I pass a hand over my face. “You’re a fool if you think apologizing will solve anything. Ji Hoon is out for blood and he won’t be satisfied with my apology. He needs to be put in his place. Both Ikuya and Haru could’ve died, Hiyori, do you realize this?” I ask angrily. “You’re facing a two year ban, which sucks, but my brother could’ve drowned and Ikuya is in hospital, injured.”

“I know, I blame myself for Ikuya,” he murmurs. “But I can’t help you on this, Asami. For your sake, just let it go.”

I shrug with one shoulder. “Fine, then. I’ll simply ask someone else to help me.”

“Asami, wait!”

I turn on my heels and start walking away, ignoring him as he calls my name a few times. I take my phone out, then call my best friend.

“Sayuri, I need your help.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m in.”

I wrap my arms around my best friend’s shoulder and she chuckles.

“I wanted to show you, Ji Hoon is going to take a photo shoot for a popular Korean street wear brand. He posted on his Instagram,” she tells me, pulling out her phone to show me.

“Asami, hi, I didn’t know you came to visit.”

We both look up in time to see Sousuke enter the living room, yawning, his hair standing up in all directions, as if he just woke up from a nap.

“Sousuke, honey, put some clothes on,” Sayuri asks, laughing.

He looks down, blushing when he sees the shorts he’s wearing. They’re black and covered in white paw prints.

“Nice kitty shorts,” I tease and he flashes me the middle finger before retreating back to the bedroom.

“Anyways, you should ask Ritsu to add you in the photo shoot. I bet they’ll accept a popular figure skater like you,” the chestnut haired girl tells me.

I nod. “Yes, good idea. Then I can follow him around and see what he’s up to.” 

“I’ll deal with Shinobu in the meantime,” she offers.

“He’s still at the same hotel. He doesn’t know you and it’s an advantage for us, but still be careful.”

I call Ritsu, then ask him about the photo shoot. He seems surprised that I would offer for something like this so he promises to make the call the next day.

Me and Sayuri fist bump, grinning at each other. Now, all we have to do is wait and see what we discover.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, well, look who we have here.”

I lock eyes with Ji Hoon in the mirror and smile. He looks a bit worried that I’ve just crashed his photo shoot.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asks me, leaning against the wall.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I tell him, adjusting the thigh high socks.

“Oh, come on, Asami. Aren’t you here to break that mirror and stick a piece of glass in me?” he teases.

My heart skips a beat. I’m shocked he can joke around like this.

“Are you insane?” I snap, turning around to face him.

In an instant, Ji Hoon crosses the room and grabs me by the neck, pushing me hard into the mirror. I gasp, both in pain and because of how hard he’s squeezing my neck and raise a knee, trying to hit him, but he pushes a leg between mine. I grip his wrist with both hands, sinking my nails deep into his skin. 

The Korean guy hisses in pain, then turns me around, pressing my face into the cold mirror. He grabs me by the hair, gripping it tight enough to make my scalp burn.

“Take it as a friendly advice, you slut,” he murmurs into my ear. “Whatever you’re planning, give up until you get hurt. I have nothing to do with what happened to Ikuya, or Haru and I won’t let you blame me. Is it clear?”

I don’t answer, so he pulls on my hair hard and my eyes fill with tears because of the pain.

“Crystal,” I mutter, and he lets me go.

“I’m glad we understand each other,” he says, smiling as he turns me with my back against the mirror, gently this time.

Ji Hoon takes a napkin out of a packet in his pocket, then carefully wipes the smudged make up under my eyes. He brushes his fingers through my hair next, arranging it so it doesn’t look ruffled from his earlier ministrations.

“Perfect,” he comments and tries to pat me on the head.

I cower, sniffling, as I pretend to be scared of him. I rub a hand on my neck, looking down, when all I want is to break his nose.

“Good girl,” he says, grinning from ear to ear as he places his palm on the top of my head. “Finish dressing, Asami and let’s enjoy this photo shoot,” he adds, then leaves and let’s me get ready.

I maintain my scared expression until he leaves, then I let my face relax.

I can’t wait to destroy him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ji Hoon has no idea that I’m following him. I pretended to call a taxi and leave, but I ended up giving the guy a huge tip to just take me to the other side of the building where we had our photo shoot. 

It doesn’t take long for me to put a long blue wig and huge headphones that resemble car ears on my head. I throw a white jacket over my clothes, put on sunglasses, then get on the bike I’ve rented just for this occasion.

At first, I stay behind him as he walks, making sure he won’t notice me. I manage to blend in with another huge group of other people on bikes, so he doesn’t see me even when he stops in front of the entrance to the subway station to answer his phone.

I go around the corner first, then abandon my bike. I replace my blue wig with a brown one that doesn’t draw attention, then switch my white jacket with a black one and make my way to the subway station.

My job is easy now, because the subway is so crowded I have no chance at being noticed. 

Just like I expected, Ji Hoon is heading to the hotel Shinobu is staying it. I hope I won’t bump into Haru or Kaede when I get there.

~~~~~~~~~~

I can’t believe it. Ji Hoon has entered the infirmary almost half an hour ago and he’s still inside. Maybe he saw me and he’s waiting inside to ambush me in case I decide to go in, or he’s simply waiting for me to leave.

Suddenly, someone touches my shoulder and I almost jump out of my skin. I turn my head and see Sayuri, who puts a finger to her lips, motioning for me to be quiet. Then, she presses her mouth against my ear and whispers “There’s another way to the infirmary. I followed Shinobu until he got inside.”

I follow her and we enter a storage room. I open my mouth to complain, when Sayuri points to a small window. She curls a finger, motioning for me to come closer, then she points to the window. I’m not tall enough to see inside, so I just grab a bucket and pray it won’t break. I stand on it, my mouth dropping open when I see Shinobu sitting on a bed. Ji Hoon is on his knees, in front of him, effectively sucking his dick. 

I pull out my phone, fumbling with it for a second until I start recording. The window is not too clean and I can only see Shinobu’s face in the beginning, since the Korean swimmer has his head down.

However, it doesn’t take long until Ji Hoon gets up and lies on the bed, with his back up. Shinobu grabs his hips, pulling him closer, then starts teasing his entrance with his fingers, while he is stroking himself at the same time.

Sayuri elbows me in the side, motioning for me to end the video, but I want to risk another minute. I’m not satisfied until Shinobu starts fucking Ji Hoon and I record that.

Sayuri grabs my hand and helps me step down from the bucket, then places it back in its place, without making any noise. We run away from the storage room that leads to the infirmary, then out of the hotel, only stopping to catch our breath in a nearby park.

“You’re such a bad bitch,” Sayuri tells me, laughing as she sits on a bench.

I pull the wig off, then stuff it in my backpack, breathing a sigh of relief. “I hate wigs.”

My best friend runs her fingers through my hair, pushing it away from my forehead. “What are you going to do with the video? Post it?”

I shake my head. “No, I’ll try to blackmail him,” I respond.

It’s only part of the plan, anyways. I’m going to need Kaede’s help for the next part and I have a feeling he won’t say no.


	67. Haru's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M/M smut ahead!

“You’re hiding something.”

Kaede looks at me over the edge of his book, then resumes reading as if I didn’t say anything.

I grab the book and snatch it from his hands.

‘Kaede.”

The orange haired swimmer sighs, then gets up in a sitting position. He motions for me to sit on the edge of his bed and he grabs my hands as soon as I sit down.

“Haru, I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I was scared…”

I lean forward, curious and he makes puppy eyes at me.

“I wanted to deal with this alone, but I can’t take it anymore. I’m…pregnant. The child is yours.”

I stare at him, my mouth agape. It takes me a second to process the stupid thing that came out of his mouth and he throws his head back, laughing histericaly when I push his hands away.

“You have a screw loose, Kaede,” I comment and he laughs even louder. “No, but really. What are you still doing in Seoul?”

“None of your damn business, Haru,” he replies, grinning. “Let me rephrase,” he adds, when he sees me squinting my eyes at him. “You share, I share.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Share what?”

He shrugs. “Then I don’t have anything to say, either. It’s probably for the best.” Kaede pulls out his phone and types a message. “I’m going to be a good roommate and tell you that I’m not coming back tonight. So feel free to flood the bathroom.”

I follow him around the room as he gets dressed in black jeans and a casual shirt, then grab his backpack and leave the room.

I debate between following him and minding my own business, then opt for the latter. Kaede is ruthless and vengeful, surely what he’s going to do has something to do with Ji Hoon and Shinobu. I text Hiyori and tell him to be careful, because Kaede is planning something, but that’s about everything I can do. 

The rest is up to him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sousuke looks at me surprised as he opens the door. “Haru, I didn’t expect you to come here.”

“Hello to you, too,” I retort, walking inside the apartment when he steps back and motions for me to come in.

I’m still angry with him for the stunt he pulled at the airport. I know he was just pretending, but let’s face it, he never liked me, so it came a little bit to natural to him for my taste.

Both Rin and Sayuri raise their heads to look at me when I enter the living room. They’re sharing a small bowl of popcorn as they’re watching a movie.

“Haru,” Rin says, smiling as he gets up to greet me. “Why didn’t you text me to say you were coming?” he asks, after giving me a short peck on the lips.

“What is Asami planning?” I ask Sayuri directly, without giving her time to prepare herself.

The chestnut haired girl stares at me, trying to buy herself some time to think.

“What are you talking about?”

“Is Kaede involved?” I press further.

“Why would Asami and Kaede plan something together?” Sousuke intervenes. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Because I know my sister,” I reply. “Sayuri, please, you have to tell me what you know. Messing with Ji Hoon is dangerous, you know what he did to all of us.”

She shakes her head. “Haru, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t know anything.” She gets up and places a hand on my shoulder, as if to comfort me. “All Asami cares about right now is to take care of Ikuya,” she adds, smiling.

I let out a deep sigh. “I hope you’re telling me the truth, Sayuri. At least promise me you won’t get involved…”

“I promise,” the chestnut haired girl replies. “I know you’re worried about your sister, but Asami can take care of herself.”

Rin swings an arm over my shoulders. “What got into you all of a sudden?”

“Kaede told me he’d be gone all night and I just think he’s hiding something.”

My boyfriend’s eyes sparkle. “I like the sound of that, Haru. How about we go back to your place and talk about this some more?”

Sousuke lets out a snort, but doesn’t comment anything.

~~~~~~~~~~

I drop on the bed face first and slap a hand on my mouth to muffle my moans. Rin positions himself behind me and grips my hips, sinking his fingers into my flesh as he pushes inside of me, inch by inch.

“Haru, relax,” he tells me, his voice breaking into a low growl as he sheathes himself completely. “Fuck, you’re so tight.”

He lowers his head and presses a few soft kisses on my shoulder blades, taking his time as he lets me adjust to the fullness of him.

I short yell escapes my lips when he starts rolling his hips, slowly thrusting into me.

“Rin…”

“It’s been so long,” he murmurs into my ear and I whimper when he licks the shell of my ear. “Are you okay?” he asks me as he stops moving.

I nod and he sinks his teeth into my shoulder as he pushes into me in slow, hard thrusts.

My moans are loud and shameless as he grips me by the hair and forces my head back. He’s thrusting mercilessly into me, whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

I can’t think straight anymore when he releases my hir, just to slip his hand underneath my body and wrap his fingers around my throbbing erection.

I arch my back and he slides inside even deeper. His fingers tighten on my dick, his thumb teasing the tip and that’s enough for me to climax.

I slump forward as I find my release and Rin wraps an arm around me, supporting my weight. I barely register his grunts as he comes, spilling white hot liquid inside of me.

“I’m sorry,” he says into my ear, before pulling the ear lobe between his teeth and softly biting on it. “You took me by surprise.”

Rin chuckles when I mutter some unintelligible words, my voice muffled by the pillow. He rolls me around carefully and I rest my head against his chest.

“It’s fine,” I reply, planting a kiss on his chest. 

“You look so sexy, Haru,” he mutters, grabbing my shoulder and pushing me on my back. “You make me want to do it again.”

I open my mouth to say something, when a sudden thunder cuts me off. Rin’s eyes widen imperceptibly and I remember that he used to be terrified of thunderstorms.

I press my hand to the back of his head, tangling my fingers in his silky crimson hair. 

“It’s not like you’re leaving in this weather,” I comments, grabbing him by the nape of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

The sound of rain mixes with my moans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not the chapter you expected, but my OCD simply won't let me have two of the same POVs one after the other XD so like a hint for the next two chapters, we have an Asami POV and a Hiyori POV.


	68. Asami's POV

“Three more days and we can go home, in Tokyo,” I tell Ikuya, smiling as I brush a hand through his teal hair.

My hand moves to his cheek and he closes his eyes, leaning into my touch. 

“I thought you’d be going back to Russia.”

I shake my head. “Not a chance, Ikuya. Even Ritsu agreed that I wouldn’t be able to train in Sankt Petersburg.”

“Don’t get me wrong, that makes me happy. I’m just worried…”

“Don’t be,” I interrupt him, pressing my lips against his.

I feel a pang of guilt knowing that I have to hide my plan from him. It’s not that I don’t trust him, but I know he would try to stop me.

I need this revenge. I can’t move forward knowing I could’ve fought back, but I didn’t.

Hiyori didn’t return any of my calls or texts, so it’s clear to me that I can’t change his mind. I wanted to ask him to keep an eye on Ikuya tonight, but I opted for Natsuya in the end.

“I’m happy you decided to rest this evening,” Ikuya says, pressing a hand to the back of my head and pulling me closer for a kiss. “You barely got any rest these days.”

I rest my forehead against his. “That’s only because I like your brother, he seems trustworthy.”

Ikuya chuckles. “Yes, we need someone we can trust to feed me apples and bring me some tea.”

I shrug. “It’s a pretty important mission, okay?”

It doesn’t take long until Natsuya arrives, holding a tray with Ikuya’s dinner. He places it on the nightstand and the teal haired boy squints his eyes at the clear soup.

“Tasteless soup again, I see,” he comments, rolling his eyes when his older brother ruffles his hair.

“Off you go,” Natsuya tells me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing the top of my head.

It makes me happy that he’s no longer mad at me for breaking up with Ikuya. I guess it’s obvious for everyone now that I truly love him, even for his older brother.

~~~~~~~~~~

I call Kaede as soon as I’m outside of the hospital.

“How are things on your side?” I ask him.

“He didn’t suspect a thing,” Kaede replies. 

“Perfect. Take a cute picture of him and be ready to send it to Ji Hoon soon.”

I hang up, then call a taxi. My whole body is tingling with anticipation. I want to get this over with, but at the same time, I can’t wait to see Ji Hoon’s reaction when he finds out what I’ve planned for him.

I tried to make it obvious, by setting the meeting point at the same infirmary he and Shinobu used for their rendezvous.

I’m not surprised that he came before me. I made sure to be late about half an hour, so he would get worried by the time I arrived. This time, I’m using the front door of the infirmary.

“You’re late,” he tells me, casually sitting on one of the beds.

“Fashionably late, dare I say,” I reply, chuckling.

I sit on the edge of the bed opposite to the one Ji Hoon is sitting on and cross my legs.

“Where’s Shinobu?” I inquire, looking around.

“Having just me isn’t enough for you, little slut?”

I snort. “Insults don’t mean a thing to me, Ji Hoon.”

“After I’m done with you, you’ll be too ashamed to get out of your house,” he says, grinning.

“Threats won’t help you, either,” I reply, muffling a yawn. “Do you know why I’m here?”

Ji Hoon scoffs. “You think you’re so smart. Did you really imagine that I had no idea you were following me after the photo shoot?”

My eyes widen and he starts laughing.

“You dumb whore.” 

He gets up and starts to slowly walk towards me, casually slipping his hands in his pockets. 

“You must love it when I choke you, otherwise you wouldn’t provoke me so,” he mutters as he stops right in front of me.

He places one of his hands on my neck and brushes his thumb against the bruises he caused the other day, right before the photo shoot. 

I look up at him, settling my eyes on him. I smile sweetly at him, then say “You look pretty obedient when Shinobu fucks you.”

For a second, his cool demeanor falters. His hand squeezes my neck, as if to warn me not to provoke him further.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I have to call my partner in…” I raise my arm, checking my watch. “Exactly two minutes, otherwise he’ll post the video of you sucking your boyfriend’s dick.”

Ji Hoon throws his head back, laughing. “Go ahead, Asami. You can even call him and tell him to do exactly that. I’m not like you, I have connections everywhere. I’ll show you what a lawsuit can do to your figure skating career.”

He frowns when he sees that my smile doesn’t disappear. I keep staring at him, grinning and it makes him uncomfortable enough to ask “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Do you have connections at the lab that dealt with the doping drug tests?”

The Korean swimmer snorts. “Ah, I see. You came here to trade the video for Hiyori’s Hydrochlorothiazide positive test, right?”

I shrug. “Among other things. I know you’re tormenting my friends because of what you think happened to your sister.”

His face contorts when I mention his dead sister. “Don’t even speak her name.”

“I can’t, I don’t remember it, that’s how unimportant she was to me,” I point out.

He clenches his fist, ready to strike me, but right then, his phone starts vibrating. He takes it out of his pocket and checks the message, immediately dropping it as if it burned him. Ji Hoon falls to his knees, his hands shaking as he’s overwhelmed with shock.

“Oups, I forgot to call my partner,” I say, arching one of the corners of my mouth as I lean forward to see the picture better. It’s a close – up of Shinobu’s face, badly beaten up, swollen and covered in blood. “Ah, I see he got creative.”

Ji Hoon looks up at me, terrified and disgusted. “You…you didn’t say anything about Shinobu!” he yells at me. “You’re sick in the head, how could you do that?”

“The same way you stole Hiyori’s phone and lured Ikuya in an abandoned building, where you knew drug dealers gather. Also, remember how you spiked Haru’s drink and he almost drowned?”

“I’ll never admit to any of these false accusations,” he replies instantly.

I chuckle. “I’m not here to record you, dumbass. I already know everything you’ve done. You tormented Haru and Ikuya because you think your sister slit her wrists because of me, but you also fucked Hiyori up because Shinobu despises him, right? That was Shinobu’s payment.”

I crouch in front of him. “What about Elizabeth and Tatiana? What did you give them in return for fucking with me and Ikuya?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Korean swimmer tells me.

The tone of voice he uses this time is different, as if he’s telling the truth, but I won’t let him distract me.

“The truth is, if I don’t call my partner in time, he’ll do something bad to Shinobu.”

Realization dawns on him. “The video was just bait.”

I clap my hands mockingly. “Good job, Ji Hoon. Now, this is what I want you to do. Use your connections at the lab to solve Hiyori’s problem and call off whatever shit you’re planning next for us. Then, I want you to record yourself admitting to everything that you’ve done to us and send it to me, so I know you won’t pull off something like this again.”

“That’s it? You don’t want retribution for what happened to your boyfriend?” he asks me.

“It’s not like your money and connections can heal his wound,” I snap. “Now, turn on the light and get to work.”

The first thing he does is call someone and judging from the conversation he’s having, it’s his connection at the lab. He insists a lot and promises that person a huge sum of money to just solve the issue.

Next comes the video I asked him to record. He calmly talks about spiking Haru’s tea right before his race, then how he asked Shinobu to go visit his aunt and steal Hiyori’s phone, then use it to lure Ikuya in an abandoned building where he specifically knew gang members gather sometimes for their street selling drugs.

Ji Hoon ends the video by saying that for stealing Hiyori’s phone, photoshopping pictures and posting the video of Rin and Haru kissing, he had to make Shinobu’s doping problem go away by dumping it on Hiyori. Basically, Ji Hoon used his connection at the lab to switch Shinobu’s blood and urine samples with Hiyori’s samples.

“What about Elizabeth and Tatiana?” I insist, but he shakes his head as he sends me the video of himself. I send it to Sayuri’s phone, just like we discussed, in case the Korean guy tried to take my phone away.

“I told you, I don’t know anything about that.”

Ji Hoon sighs, looking at me. “Anything else, Asami?”

“I’ll keep in touch if I need anything else from you,” I reply, blowing him a kiss.

I turn around, ready to leave the infirmary, when he suddenly attacks me from behind. He grips me by the hair and pulls me so hard that my scalp burns.

In a flurry of motions I barely register, he slams me against the floor, face first. I manage to turn around before he immobilizes me and hit his stomach with my foot as hard as I can.

Ji Hoon gasps and doubles over, so I crawl away. However, he grabs me by the ankle and pulls me back, then straddles me so I can’t get away.

I swing at him, trying to hit him, but he manages to grab my wrists and pin them down above my head.

I whimper when he squeezes my wrists so hard I can feel them crack.

“I’ll fuck you up so badly, Asami, that you’ll have no choice but to give up on ice skating,” he tells me, grinning like a madman. 

I thrash underneath him, but he won’t budge. Instead, he grips my wrists with only one hand, then latches the other one on my neck.

He squeezes my neck so hard that my vision gets blurry.

I can’t breathe.


	69. Hiyori's POV

I had to tell Hanabi another blatant lie. However, I can’t think about that. I just hope that nothing bad has happened to Asami, or Ikuya will skin me alive.

My shoes hit the pavement with loud thuds as I run towards the hotel. It took me a long time to convince Sayuri to tell me where Asami is.

I have a very bad feeling about this. I thought Asami would let go of her plan if I didn’t help her, but I should’ve known better.

I’m panting when I enter the lobby and I stop for a second, trying to catch my breath and calm down. Guided by Sayuri’s instructions, it doesn’t take long until I find the second entrance to the infirmary, through the storage room.

I peak into the window first, my stomach sinking when I see Asami on the floor. Ji Hoon is straddling her and has one hand wrapped around her neck. I open my phone and snap a quick picture of them, because Ji Hoon will never admit to his deeds in case Asami wants to press charges, then send it to first person that pops up in my contact list.

I try the door knob and it’s no surprise to me that it’s locked. I hit the door hard with my fist, yelling at Ji Hoon to leave her alone, before I start slamming my shoulder into it.

Fortunately, the door is old and it gives out under pressure in no time. I immediately tackle Ji Hoon and push him on the floor, my fist colliding with his face the instant he tries to throw me off.

Asami rolls to her side, couching and struggling with short, painful intakes of breath. 

“Stop moving, you disgusting asshole,” I growl at Ji Hoon, pressing my forearm against his neck. “I’ll crack your head open if you don’t stop moving.”

The Korean guy stares into my eyes for a second and he must have seen that I’m dead serious about my threat, because he stop thrashing underneath me.

“Asami, are you okay?” I ask, without turning my head to her.

“I’ll manage,” she replies between coughs. “How did you know where to find me?”

“Sayuri. I can’t believe you would do something so reckless, Asami!”

Ji Hoon tries to move again, so I raise my fist. “Don’t you dare.”

“I’m not the villain here, you have to believe me, Hiyori,” the Korean says. 

I snort. “Don’t bother, Ji Hoon. I took a photo of you strangling Asami. It’s enough proof for her to press charges. You’re going down.”

He grins and there’s blood on his teeth, because of my punch from earlier.

“Do you have any idea what she did to Shinobu?”

“I do.”

This time, I turn around, shocked to hear her voice. Hanabi’s eyes are red and swollen and she’s holding her phone with a trembling hand.

“Hiyori, how could you do this to me?” she asks, sobbing.

Ji Hoon takes advantage of the situation and manages to throw me off of him. I double over when his fist slams into my stomach and I can’t even gasp when he gets up and hits my side with his outstretched leg.

I drop on the floor on my side and Ji Hoon fishes the phone out of my back pocket. In a second, he throws the object on the ground and anrgily stomps on it, destroying it.

“There,” he says, grinning at me. “I’ve dealt with your incriminating photo. Good job, Hiyori.”

“Why is she here?” Asami asks, pointing at Hanabi. “Hiyori, I told you not to get her involved.”

“Oh, I called her,” Ji Hoon boasts. “I simply send her the picture of Shinobu. All she had to do was follow Hiyori.”

He chuckles as he starts walking towards Asami. She tries to get up and run away, but he’s faster than her. He grabs her by the hair, keeping her in place.

“Let her go,” I yell, but he raises a hand to stop me when I begin to get up.

“Don’t move and I won’t hurt her,” he snaps at me.

I stay put, but only because Asami caught my eye and tapped lightly at her watch. 

“Hanabi, I’m so glad you joined our little party,” Ji Hoon tells my girlfriend. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Run your mouth as much as you want, Junnie,” Asami says, mockingly. “I have everything I need from you.”

He throws his head back, laughing. “Maybe, but you’ll leave this place disfigured, my dear ice skater. Your only choice, when I’m done with you, will be to slit your wrists and end your pathetic existence.”

His words send a shiver down my spine and I don’t understand why Asami is so calm. I get ready to attack Ji Hoon and get us all out of here, when her phone starts vibrating in her pocket.

The Korean swimmer elegantly slips his hand into her pocket.

“Let’s see what your partner in crime said,” he mutters, smiling in a predatory way. “I’ll be sure to find him and do to him exactly what he did to Shinobu.”

His smile falters after he opens the phone. His face turns deathly pale and he releases Asami’s hair out of shock. The girl immediately gets up and runs to me, then grabs my arm. “You okay?”

I nod, but my attention is still locked on Ji Hoon. He drops to his knees, but his trembling hand still clutches the phone. 

Hanabi is the closest to him right now and judging from the shocked expression on her face, I understand that she saw the display.

The scream that she lets out freezes my blood in my veins. I take a few steps towards her, but she yells at me “Don’t come any closer, you criminal!”

She runs out of the infirmary before I can catch her, so I decide to follow her, when the image on the phone distracts me. I pick it up from Ji Hoon’s hand and immediately slap a hand over my mouth as I read the message sent by an anonymous contact.

He tried to run away and struggled to get free. He’s not breathing. What do I do?

Underneath the text message, I can see a picture of Shinobu, on the ground face first, with a pool of blood surrouding him. 

“Asami, what have you done?” I scream, unable to stop myself. 

She waves her hand. “Relax, Hiyori. I would’ve told you everything if only you had agreed to help me.”

“You’re telling me to relax?” I stare at her in disbelief. “I’m calling the police.”

“No! It’s not real!” she says, raising her voice. “None of it is real, it’s just make up and fake blood.”

My mouth drops open and Ji Hoon raises his head. “What?”

Asami passes a hand over her face. “It’s all fake.”

The Korean guy stares at her like she’s the devil. “You don’t mean…”

“Yes, I do. I told you, Ji Hoon, I have everything I wanted from you and more.” She grins at him, just like he did earlier, when he thought he had the upper hand. “My coach will contact yours about the assault and we’ll discuss.”

“What assault?” he barks. “There’s no evidence. I destroyed the phone.”

“I had already sent the picture to someone else, Ji Hoon,” I intervene and his eyes widen.

“What is it that you want? Money? To cover a scandal? Just tell me and I’ll get it done,” he says, his voice sounding defeated.

Asami shrugs. “Maybe I’ll simply decide to press charges, just for the fun of it.”

Ji Hoon’s face turns ashen and the brunette grabs me by the arm. “Let’s go.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“I can’t believe you sent that photo to Ikuya,” Asami whines, covering her face with her hands. “You can’t even imagine the lecture I got when he called me! I don’t even want to think about the one I’ll get when he sees me.”

I stare at Shinobu, who’s still asleep even after being brought to sofa in the living room. Hanabi swears as she struggles to remove the make up from his face.

“Sayuri, what the fuck did you use?”

The chestnut haired girl shrugs. “I had to make it look real, okay? It will wash off eventually.”

Asami’s plan was more complicated than I thought initially. I could’ve sworn she was simply going to use the video of Ji Hoon and Shinobu shagging in the infirmary to blackmail him into getting what she wanted and that seemed like the worst idea ever. Knowing Ji Hoon, it was clear to me that he’ll try to hurt Asami.

Instead of just using the video, Asami worked with Sayuri, Kaede and Hanabi to sedate Shinobu and hide him in Arisu’s bedroom, who’s out of town again, then keep him there under lock and key the whole day. Hanabi read all the messages sent between Shinobu and Ji Hoon, to learn his style and then it was easy to text the Korean guy back when necessary. Sayuri used her drawing skills to make his face look like he’s been beaten to a pulp, whereas Kaede was the one who carried Shinobu from the café he met with Hanabi, to Arisu’s apartment. Needless to say, Hanabi was the one who slipped some strong sedatives into his drink when he went to the bathroom.

That is why Ji Hoon came to the infirmary calm and relaxed. He thought Shinobu would be there as well and they’d simply ambush Asami when she got there.

He never imagined he would receive a picture of his beaten up lover. However, I’m sure Asami didn’t expect Ji Hoon to try to strangle her. Fortunately, her plan included a distraction for Ji Hoon, just in case. Using fake blood taken from Arisu’s Halloween decorations, Kaede and Sayuri made it seem like Shinobu got stabbed or something and he was lying in his own blood. They had to send the photo to Asami’s phone just in case she took too much to call them that the job was done. 

I’m still glad I decided to go there. That photo could’ve only anger Ji Hoon more, when he was already trying to squeeze the life out of her.

What she had no idea would happen was Ji Hoon sending Hanabi the picture of Shinobu’s beaten up face. She was forced to come and pretend she was shocked, otherwise the Korean guy might have figured out something wasn’t right.

“You’re sick in the head for conjuring up such a plan,” Kaede comments, chuckling. “I kind of like it.”

Asami rolls her eyes. “You like me because I look like my brother, don’t lie.”

There are deep purple bruises all over Asami’s neck and around her wrists. I don’t even want to imagine Ikuya when he received the photo of Ji Hoon strangling his girlfriend, but I had to be quick.

“I still would’ve enjoyed beating this fucker up,” Kaede mutters, stretching an arm towards Shinobu’s face.

Hanabi slaps his hand away. “Don’t even think about it, Kaede. I only agreed to this because Asami swore you won’t hurt him.”

It’s still a mystery to me why Kaede decided to change. My guess is that it has something to do with Haru, but I don’t want to find out more. For me, he will always be the bully who broke my wrist and tormented me, so I’ll never do more than just tolerate his presence.

“I can’t believe you made Ji Hoon solve the doping issues,” I murmur, feeling ashamed of myself. “Even after I said I won’t help you…”

Asami shrugs. “I won’t hold it against you, I’m sure you had your reasons. Quick thinking, though, with the photo. I’m glad you took it. More blackmail material for that sucker.”

She pauses then lets out a sigh. “What was I supposed to ask, anyways? It’s not like he could’ve done something to help Ikuya heal faster.”

I’ve already received an email informing all swimmers that they’ll have to take the doping drug tests again, because of some errors that were discovered. 

Sayuri gathers the cleaning wipes and throw them all out in a small bin. “Shall we leave? Sousuke keeps messaging me.”

Asami nods. “Yeah, I’ll go see Ikuya, too. He texted me to tell me that Haru is waiting for me there as well.” She shudders visibly. “I don’t want to go!”

Her friend throws an arm over he shoulders. “I’ll come with you, don’t worry.”

Kaede leaves with the girl as well, which means I’m finally alone with Hanabi. 

“Shinobu will never forgive me,” she mutters, looking down at him as she caresses his cheek. “He’ll be suspended for two years and he’ll blame me for it.”

“He only has himself to blame for taking Hydrochlorothiazide, Hanabi,” I point out. “Why didn’t you tell me about Asami’s plan?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her.

Hanabi rests her head on my chest, sighing. “Because you would’ve tried to stop me. Also, I had no idea my brother was using enhancing drugs.” She shakes her head.

I want to ask her if her choice would’ve been different had she known that about Shinobu, but I bite my tongue.

“Is it okay if we take a break?” she asks me, looking up at me. “So much has happened and I…need time to think.”

Her words hit me so hard that I can’t breathe for a second.

“Are we taking time…or a time out?” I inquire, trying to keep my emotions under control.

Hanabi drops her gaze and refuses to look at me when I grab her shoulders.

“I need time,” she repeats.

It hurts worse than any punch in the stomach. I would’ve gladly taken the two year ban instead of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've tried to cover everything, but in case something doesn't make sense or I left something unexplained, please tell me in the comments :D


	70. Ikuya's POV

I like watching Asami interact with her fans. She’s always sweet and polite as she takes pictures with them at the airport.

I sigh, pressing a hand to my right side. I’d kill for some ice right now. I have no choice but to endure, because I can’t exactly stay in Seoul until the wound heals. I have to go back to Tokyo.

“You okay?”

I nod at Ritsu and lean back into the uncomfortable plastic chair. One more hour until we can board the plane, then a two hour flight. I can do this.

“Don’t tell anything to Asami,” I mutter and her coach nods. “It’s normal to hurt, but she’ll make a big deal out of it.”

We’re the last to leave Seoul. Hiyori left first, because he and Hana got into an argument the night after Asami and the others dealt with Ji Hoon. They didn’t exactly break up, she only asked for a break and even offered to let him stay in her aunt’s apartment for their remaining time in Seoul, but he booked the first available flight, packed up his things and left.

Haru and Rin, as well as Sousuke and Sayuri were the next to leave. According to Sayuri, she and Sousuke will move back to Tokyo in about a week or two, since her father still has to do some tests on his shoulder.

I had to force Natsuya and my mother to leave and they only agreed because we had a responsible adult with us – Asami’s coach, Ritsu. I don’t know how responsible he really is, but he’s definitely an adult.

Taking off his lip piercing and letting his hair loose when he met with my mother surely helped form her good impression of him.

I look around, because I don’t see Asami anywhere. Just a moment ago she was taking selfies with fans.

I finally notice her approaching us with a small bag in her arms. She’s wearing a long sleeved turtleneck body and ripped jeans and she looks stunning.

“Did you raid the bookstore?” I tease and she chuckles.

“Guilty as charged,” she replies, then hands me a can of Coke. “This is the coldest one they had.”

I roll my eyes. “Thanks, mom.”

She pinches my arm and I swat her hand away, before I slip the cold can under my sweater. I let out a relieved sigh and close my eyes.

“You mom thinks you should accept to stay in the hospital for some days when we reach Tokyo,” Asami says, taking my hand. “At least two or three days, Ikuya,” she adds when I open my mouth to protest. “Just to be sure.”

I sigh, then press the can against the bandage on my abdomen. “I’ll think about it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I lied through my teeth when we reached Tokyo and pretended that it didn’t hurt. Asami didn’t argue with me because I insisted I was okay, but still decided to stay with me for a while and help unpack my bags. Hiyori offered to take care of things so she could go to the apartment Ritsu rented for them, but she simply said that she didn’t mind. 

So, basically, I’ve been lying on the bed motionless for the past two hours, while she unpacked my bags, did my laundry and cooked some food for me in the shared kitchen of the campus building me and Hiyori are staying in.

“Are you hungry?” she asks me as she sits on the edge of the bed.

Asami brushes a hand through my hair, then caresses my cheek and I lean into her touch, closing my eyes.

“No, thank you, love. You must be tired too, you’ve done enough for me. Lie down next to me.”

“Let me bring you another ice pack.”

She takes an ice pack from the freezer, then lifts my loose T shirt and gently places it on the bandage covering my wound. I tilt my head back, enjoying the cold, numbing sensation . It almost feels like I don’t need to go to the hospital.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take him to the hospital tomorrow morning,” Hiyori says, before Asami can comment on anything. “He has no chance in hell to refuse.”

I roll my eyes and my girlfriend chuckles. Hiyori doesn’t act different towards Asami, but I know my best friend. I’m sure he knows it’s not her fault for what happened with Hanabi, but at the same time, a part of him blames her. However, he can’t afford to be mad at her. Asami is the one that forced Ji Hoon to solve the doping drug test problem.

I take Asami’s hand and lift her sleeve a little, squinting my eyes at her bruises wrist. There are similar ones on her other wrist and horrible deep purple bruises on her neck. 

I still have the photo of Ji Hoon strangling her in my phone. I was so worried, going absolutely mad because I couldn’t help her in any way and extremely angry with her for going to such lengths to get revenge on Ji Hoon. I know it was the only way to stop him, but what if something worse had happened to her? What if Hiyori didn’t get there in time?

Asami her forehead against mine. “I can almost hear your thoughts.”

I shrug. “I can’t help it, love. I can’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened…”

She brushes her lips against mine, cutting me off. I can hear Hiyori groan, but that doesn’t stop me from pressing my hand to the back of her neck and deepening the kiss.

The sudden movement sends spikes of pain through my right side and I whimper against her lips. Asami breaks the kiss and sighs. “I knew it.”

She kisses me one more time on the lips, then gets up. “I’ll leave now and let you get some rest.”

I drop my head. “I’ll text you after my check up at the hospital.”

As soon as she leaves, I turn to Hiyori. “Do you hate her?”

My best friend groans. “Of all the things you could’ve asked me…”

“Fine. Did you and Hana talk about mending things?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not going to reach out to her, I’ve already made up my mind. And no, I don’t hate Asami. I just wish none of this ever happened, but I know it’s pointless.”

I open my mouth to continue the conversation, but Hiyori interrupts me by asking “Do you want another ice pack?”

I press my lips together, pouting as I shake my head. 

~~~~~~~~~~

I ended up being admitted to the hospital and put back on antibiotic shots, just to be on the safe side. The wound was deep and it will take a while to heal, plus the surgery that followed, so despite my protests, I know it’s for the best.

Hiyori drops an entire set of manga on the nightstand and pats the stack of books with his hand. “I think you’ll like these, Hanabi was…”

His eyes widen as he realizes that he mentioned her so casually, as if they’re still together. He clears his voice, a bit embarrassed as he continues “She was obsessed with this series.”

“Thank you. Have fun at the pool today,” I reply, deciding not to press him and make him uncomfortable. 

“Pool later, first some courses. I’ll bring you my notes.”

I pass a hand over my face. “I can’t wait.”

I text Asami and let her know that I’ve been admitted to the hospital for another five days of treatment and she promises to come see me after her practice. That means late in the evening.

I sigh, already feeling bored and restless and I pick up the first book. I’ve promised myself to get out of bed and take a walk outside, in the park surrounding the hospital.

I’m already halfway through the fourth book when I suddenly hear a soft knock on the door. I click my tongue, because I forgot to go outside and it’s already late in the afternoon. 

“Come in,” I say, curious about my visitor. I wasn’t expecting anyone other than Asami and she never knocks.

The door opens to reveal Yui, a college classmate of mine. She grabs onto the edge of the door as she peaks inside, her cheeks blushed. “Hello.”

“Yui, hi.” I stare at her for a second, surprised to see her here. “Come in,” I add eventually.

She walks inside, then leans with her back against the door. She looks down, her shoulder length light brown hair covering half of her face as she mutters “I heard about your injury…and I came to see you if that’s okay.”

Her fingers tighten on the small bag. “I brought you some baked apples, if you think you can have some,” she says, pulling a plastic box out.

I shrug. “Yes, it’s okay. Did the courses end early or something?”

She blushes even harder and shakes her head. “I…didn’t go today. I wanted to come see you.”

I nod. “Okay, then. I actually wanted to go take a walk outside, in the park, so if you want to join me…”

Yui smiles brightly at me and nods. She places the box on the nightstand next to my bed, then turns to look at me. “Do you need help getting up?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I put on a hoodie, then get up slowly. The painkiller is still in effect, so it doesn’t hurt too much, but I still need to be careful. 

Yui is silent as we walk on the hospital corridors, until we reach the park. She hasn’t looked at my face at all and it’s kind of uncomfortable to walk with her like this.

“How have you been?” I ask eventually. I have no idea what this girl’s deal was. I think her family owns a bakery?

“Oh, busy with school and the bakery,” she replies, smiling shyly at me. “I wanted to bring you something, but I didn’t know if you were allowed to eat.”

“I think a small apple cinnamon bread is okay,” I reply. At least I remembered correctly. “Let’s sit here,” I tell her, motioning to a nearby bench.

She nods and we sit down. I lean back in a relaxed position and she folders her hands on her lap, looking down at them.

“Congratulations for the medals you won in Seoul,” she says, her voice a bit hesitant. “I…watched your races.”

I nod. “Thank you. Too bad I didn’t get to swim the IM,” I comment, sighing.

“Appendicitis sometimes takes you by surprise,” Yui replies, shaking her head to push stray hairs away from her face.

“Yes, that’s true.”

The official story is that I had to be taken to the hospital urgently that day, because my appendix was about to burst. If only people knew what actually happened…

“Ikuya – kun, uhm…” 

Yui presses her lips together, but she never gets to say what she wanted to, because Asami suddenly calls me as well.

“Ikuya, there you are!”

My girlfriend is smiling, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She gives Yui a dirty look as she walks towards us. Yui cowers and looks down, her light brown hair falling on her face like a curtain. Asami walks behind me, then places her hands on my shoulders and bends down to give me an upside down kiss. 

“This is Yui, a college classmate of mine,” I tell Asami before she even asks.

“I see,” the brunette mutters.

She brushes a hand through her luscious black hair, throwing it over one shoulder. She rests her chin atop my head and wraps her arms leisurely around me.

I place my hands over her forearms and notice that Yui is watching us from behind her hair.

“I’ll go now,” she mutters, getting up. “I…I hope you’ll feel better soon, Ikuya – kun. Bye.”

She turns on her heels and leaves quickly, before I can say goodbye.

“That’s it, scurry away,” Asami murmurs and I chuckle.

“Don’t be mean, she just came to see me. We’re classmates, after all.”

I tilt my head back and she kisses me on the lips again.

“Mhm hmm, whatever you say, Ikuya.”

Asami drops her backpack and skates on the bench, then sits down next to me.

“How was practice?”

“Brutal,” she replies, massaging her neck. “I feel anxious and I’d train until I’d drop dead if it weren’t for Ritsu.”

She pulls out her phone, grinning. “I decided to include a new move in my step sequence. Wanna see?”

“Of course,” I respond, excited. “I can’t wait to come watch you practice after I’m discharged. I miss watching you skate.”

I swing an arm over her waist and pull her closer to me. Asami rests her head against my shoulder and starts showing me pictures and videos taken by her coach.


	71. Asami's POV

I grit my teeth when I reach Ikuya’s hospital room and he’s not here. Again. It’s the third day in a row that I find him in the park surrounding the hospital, sitting on a bench with that light brown haired mop.

This time, I find Ikuya with a small round bread in his hand, smiling back at Yui as they talk.

“What is this?” I inquire, bending over his shoulder so I can take a closer look at it.

“Apple cinnamon bread, Yui’s family owns a bakery,” he explains, offering it to me. “Try it.”

I roll my eyes and take a small bite, ready to criticize the taste. However, my eyes widen when the perfectly blended flavours explode onto my tongue and I find myself biting into it again.

“I know, right?” Ikuya says, chuckling.

“I’ll confiscate this, I don’t think you’re allowed to eat something like this,” I reply, snatching the bread out of his hand.

“Give it back!” Ikuya protests and I move away, keeping the remaining piece of bread away from him. “Asami…”

I stick my tongue out at him, then bite one more time from the bread before I return it to him.

Yui’s hair is covering half of her face, like usual, but it’s obvious that I’m making her uncomfortable. I grin and walk behind her, then run my fingers through her hair. She flinches and tries to move away, but I grab onto her shoulders and keep her in place.

“Your hair is making me crazy,” I tell her as I brush it away from her face with my fingers.

I pull on it suddenly and she whimpers. I hate girls like her, that act like scared little mice and force the men around her to protect them.

“Asami,” Ikuya mutters, sighing.

I shrug. “My bad,” I reply, still grinning behind her as I start brading her hair. “It’s just a bit knotted, Yui. You should take care of it properly, since your hair is a bit wavy.”

She nods and says “I know I don’t have such pretty hair as you do, Asami – san.”

I roll my eyes behind her back and Ikuya presses his lips together. “Asami…”

“Yes, Ikuya, I see that you love my name, you keep saying it,” I tease, chuckling and he sighs, but he can’t help smile at me.

“Ah, here you are.”

We all look up in time to see Hiyori walking towards us. He looks at Yui with a surprised look on his face as he stops beside Ikuya and they greet each other with a fist bump.

“The famous apple cinnamon bun, I see,” he comments, looking at the small piece Ikuya is still holding. “So this is why you’ve been leaving class early, Yui.”

The girl blushes and looks away, making Hiyori laugh. “I’m surprised Asami didn’t bite your head off yet.”

“Don’t make me look like a demon,” I comment. “How have you been?”

For a second, I think that Hiyori has finally forgiven me and he’ll start acting normal towards me again. However, one small joke doesn’t mean he has. After a polite, but cold “I’m fine,” the auburn haired swimmer turns away from me and kneels next to Ikuya. He produces a notebook and a tablet from his backpack, then starts explaining stuff from Uni to his best friend.

I also know from my brother that Hiyori has been obviously avoiding him as well, when their Universities come together for shared swimming training. With Ikuya in hospital, I’m sure Hiyori has been pretty lonely. 

Thinking that the boys are too immersed in their conversation to hear me, I lower my head to Yui and pull on her braid hard enough to make her scalp burn. The girl’s eyes fill with tears, but she presses her lips together and doesn’t say anything.

“Listen to me, you little bitch. Just in case you’re dumb enough to notice, Ikuya is mine. He’ll always be mine. Do you understand?”

I pull on her hair again when she doesn’t answer, which immediately prompts her to nod.

“Perfect. Now make up an excuse and go, before I drag you by your hair all the way to the main street.”

I release her hair and she gasps. Yui presses her hand to the back of her head, massaging her scalp, before she gets up. 

“I’ll go now, I have to get home,” she murmurs as she folds her hands together and bows a little to Ikuya and Hiyori.

“Okay, thank you for the bread,” my boyfriend says, smiling, before he turns his attention back to Hiyori.

I watch her leave, with a content smile on my lips. That should teach her.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ritsu sighs as he wraps an elastic band around my left ankle.

“Two days break,” he informs me sternly, raising his hand to cut me off when I open my mouth to complain. “It’s a bit swollen, it hurts, no more training,” he says curtly. “I’ll forbid from visiting your boyfriend in the hospital if you don’t rest it and ice it properly.”

I raise my arms in frustration. “You can’t ground me, Ritsu. And it’s fine, just give me a couple hours and painkillers and I’ll be good to go.”

The brunet folds his arms over his chest. “Yes, I can ground you. Two days break and that’s final.”

“But…”

He grabs my arm, helping me up. “Do you want me to take you to Ikuya now or later?”

I pout, looking away. “Now, please.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I’m surprised as I bump into Kaede at the hospital entrance. I’m even more surprised when he tells me he’s actually here to visit Ikuya.

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” I inquire. “I didn’t know you were friends.”

He shrugs. “We used to be friends in junior high, I think it still counts.”

I know Ikuya can forgive him, since he helped me deal with Ji Hoon and also saved Haru’s life in Seoul. I don’t know how bad Kaede acted towards Ikuya when they were in high school, all I know is that he tormented Hiyori to the point of breaking his wrist.

“I don’t know about that,” I reply and he rolls his eyes.

“Small unimportant details,” he mutters, waving his hand. “Why are you limping?”

“My damn ankle,” I respond, rolling my eyes. “My coach forced me to take a break.”

We walk together towards Ikuya’s room and just when I’m about to turn a corner, Kaede grabs me by the arm and pulls me back.

“What?” I ask, turning to look at him.

The corners of his mouth are turned upwards as he presses a finger to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. He points to the corner of the hallway next, so I follow his lead and peak around it.

I squeeze my fists tight when I see Ikuya and Yui on the hallway that leads to his room. He’s leaning with his back against the wall and she’s bowing in front of him. 

“Isn’t this interesting? This looks like a high school confession to me,” Kaede teases, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me in place. “Don’t ruin it.”

“It’s her face I’m about to ruin,” I growl and he cackles.

“Shh, I want to hear,” he whispers, elbowing me in the side.

“Ikuya – kun, I’ve been meaning to tell you these past few days, but I couldn’t find the right words,” she says and I realize I’ve arrived at the beginning of her confession.

“What is it, Yui?” Ikuya asks, seemingly oblivious to her behavior. “Did something happen?”

The teal haired boy takes a step back when Yui suddenly grabs his hands and looks up at him with teary eyes. “The truth is that…that…”

“Yui, I don’t think…”

“I like you, Ikuya – kun! I like you a lot,” she suddenly exclames.

Ikuya pauses for a second, then he clears his voice. “I appreciate it, Yui, but I have a girlfriend.”

“I know, but she’s not right for you.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter and struggle against Kaede’s arm. “Let me go, or I swear I’ll hit you.”

He’s suffocating with laughter as he effortlessly keeps me in place. “But it’s too funny.”

“What are you two doing here?” Hiyori asks loudly as he walks past us.

He freezes in his place when he sees Ikuya and Yui in the hallway and she’s practically holding his hands.

“Ugh, you ruined it,” Kaede groans and let’s me go. “We were just enjoying watching a proper confession, Hiyori.”

Ikuya pulls his hands away from Yui and immediately turns to me. “Asami, it’s not what it looks like, I swear!”

I grin as I look past him, locking eyes with Yui. I crack my knuckles and the girl cowers behind Ikuya.

“Come here, little mouse,” I say as I start to slowly walk towards her. “I’ll show you why I’m perfect for Ikuya.”

Hiyori steps in front of me and Kaede grabs me from behind. “We’re in a hospital, behave, Asami,” the auburn haired man says. “Kaede, don’t let her go.”

The orange haired man seems surprised that Hiyori talked to him.

“You’re violent and a bully!” Yui yells from behind Ikuya. “He’s kind and gentle, you’re not good for him.”

I look around, as much as Kaede allows me to move. “Seriously, guys, are you filming a high school drama right now? Where are the cameras?”

Ikuya places his hands on Yui’s shoulders and gently pushes her away. “Yui, that’s enough. Apologize to Asami for your harsh words.”

The girl’s eyes fill with tears. “But it’s the truth and you know it, Ikuya. She hurt you, everyone at Uni knows about that.”

She looks directly at me as she says “Do you have any idea how much he was suffering?”

“I’m not the one trying to steal someone else’s boyfriend right now, so how about you quit your lecture?” I suggest, on a calm voice. 

“Let’s get it over with, shall we?” Kaede intervenes, grinning. “In shoujo manga, every confession needs to end with an answer.”

Hiyori turns to look at him with shocked eyes and the orange haired man shrugs. “Don’t judge me.”

“Well, I’m a horror fan, that type of manga usually ends with someone’s eyes being ripped out,” I retort jokingly. “This is getting ridiculous, Ikuya is supposed to be resting right now, not stand in the hallway for something like this.”

“Yui, thank you for visiting me these past few days, but I think it’s better for everyone if you stop coming,” Ikuya tells her eventually.

He unconsciously presses a hand to his side and immediately Yui steps closer to him, reaching her hands to him. “Ikuya – kun, are you okay?”

I manage to free myself from Kaede’s arms and run towards them. I slap Yui’s hand hard enough to bruise it.

“Don’t touch him,” I warn her, unimpressed when she clutches at her hand and drops to her knees in the hallway.

Before Ikuya can lecture me about hitting her, I open the door to his room and drag him inside, then slam it close.

“I’m so angry right now I could rip her fucking teeth out,” I growl, running both hands through my hair in frustration.

“Let me see your ankle,” Ikuya tells me softly and all my anger evaporates in an instant.

I feel my cheeks warm up, because even after all this time, his gentle side always surprises me.

“I noticed you were limping,” he adds, then points to the chair next to his bed. 

I do as I’m told, then remove my shoe and place my foot in Ikuya’s lap. I wince when his fingers press on my ankle and he says “I’ll call a nurse and ask her to bring some ice for you, as well.”

I place both hands on my burning cheeks. “Stop being cute!” I exclaim and he starts laughing.

“I’m proud of you, Asami.”

I raise an eyebrow and he continues. “You controlled yourself pretty well out there. Well, Kaede holding you still probably helped, too, but you made an effort, too.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “You’re too handsome, that’s why girls swarm you. For my birthday, I want you to tattoo Asami’s property on your forehead.”

He throws his back, laughing.

“I’m not joking!” I exclaim, laughing as well.

Kaede and Hiyori enter the room right then and the auburn haired man says “She’s gone.”

“I should’ve come to visit you sooner, Ikuya,” Kaede comments as he sits on the edge of the bed. “I enjoyed the show.”

“Why are you here, really?” Hiyori inquires, as he leans against the wall and drops his backpack on the floor.

“I’m here to visit Ikuya, really,” Kaede replies, holding his hands up as if to prove his innocence. “No ulterior motive.”

“It’s not like you’re friends or anything,” the auburn haired swimmer snaps.

We’re all silent for a few seconds, until Ikuya intervenes “Let’s no fight, okay? We’ve had enough drama for today.”

“I know I’ve been an asshole,” Kaede says and Hiyori snorts. “Okay, a huge asshole. But we used to be friends, right?”

“Yes, until you decided that we’re too lame for you,” Hiyori responds coldly. “Do you expect me to believe you’ve changed overnight?”

Ikuya sighs. “I don’t want to be the one who says it, but he’s trying, Hiyori.”

“Yes, he miraculously became a good guy after Haru befriended him. That weirdo befriends anyone that feeds him mackerel, for fuck’s sake.”

“Don’t be mean to my brother,” I mutter.

“I truly want to apologize about everything I’ve done to you, Hiyori,” Kaede intervenes. “You must know, no matter how badly I treated you, I didn’t mean to hurt you physically. That was an accident and I will aways regret doing that.”

Hiyori looks at Ikuya, expecting his support, but the teal haired boy slowly shakes his head. 

“Fine, then,” the auburn haired man says, picking up his backpack. “Kaede, you’re forgiven, now leave me the hell alone.”

Ikuya winces when Hiyori slams the door behind him as he leaves, so I gently take his hand, silently comforting him.

Kaede stares at the door for a while, until he turns to look at us. “I heard there’s a festival in Iwatobi at the end of the month,” he says, changing the subject.

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re from Iwatobi, too?”

“Yes, I’ve known him longer than Hiyori,” Ikuya replies in his place.

Kaede lets out a sigh as he gets up. “I think I’ll leave, too. Evening practice and stuff like that,” he adds, waving at us as he leaves.

“I think it would be better for Hiyori to let go of the past,” Ikuya says after Kaede has left. “I’m not saying that it’s easy to forgive something like this, but…”

I press a kiss to his cheek. “Just give him time. He’s been through a lot.”

Ikuya nods, then lies down on the bed. I quickly lie down next to him, careful not to hit his wounded side and he wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer.


	72. Hiyori's POV

Great, just what I wanted. A fucking shared swimming training with Naribusawa University. Despite knowing I’m allowed to be angry with Kaede however much I want, my stupid favorite hobby is overthinking.

I couldn’t help thinking for half of last night that maybe I shouldn’t have snapped at him like that yesterday. It’s Hana I’m pissed at, not Kaede, after all.

Well, right now, as I watch Kaede enter the pool area, surrounded by a group of friends and sporting his usual condescending smirk, I remember why I hate his guts.

I spin on my heels, pretending I didn’t see him when he waves at me. The fact that he wants to rekindle our friendship is pissing me off.

You can’t go from hanging out everyday, to cruel bullying, to a few years of distance and then back to friends again. It’s not right. It’s not normal. I won’t allow it.

After the usual warm up and friendly races between students, our coach starts naming swimmers as team captains. I sigh when I don’t hear my name called, I thought winning so many races in Seoul would qualify me as a temporary team captain, but oh well. The same thing does the coach from Naribusawa Uni and I’m not surprised to hear Kaede’s name.

“Now, the idea today is to mix the two Universities together,” our coach tells us. 

“Each team must have two students from Naribusawa and two from Shimogami,” the other coach adds. “You have ten minutes to decide the teams and the positions, because we’re having a medley relay.”

The coach barely finishes his sentence when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see Kaede grinning back at me.

“No,” I snap. “Absolutely not.”

The annoying asshole completely ignores my words and casually swings an arm over my shoulders. “Who else from your Uni?”

I fold my arms over my chest. “I refuse to be in the same team with you.”

“Why? Don’t you want to win?”

I look away, feeling childish all of a sudden. Kaede has a point, I want the team I’m part of to win.

“Hideo,” I eventually say, pointing to a purple haired guy. “He took silver in Seoul, at the 400 m backstroke.”

“Perfect,” Kaede replies. 

Hideo doesn’t need any convincing when the orange haired swimmer asks him to be in the same team with us. The fourth member is Daisuke from Naribusawa Uni. He’s got short brown hair, he’s taller and more muscular than Kaede and on top of everything, he acts like he despises Kaede. That doesn’t stop him from requesting to be part of our team.

“Do you have any Hydrochlorothiazide to spare?” Daisuke teases me, laughing when I roll my eyes.

“Shut it,” Kaede comments. “Let’s decide the order in which we swim.”

“Obviously, you’re our anchor,” Daisuke says, but Kaede shakes his head.

“He will swim freestyle.”

It takes me a second to realize Kaede is talking about me. I look at him, waiting patiently for the laughter, or joke, or whatever he’s prepared for me. Instead, the orange haired man snaps his fingers in front of my face.

“Hiyori, will you swim free for us?”

“Sure,” I reply eventually. “I thought you’d be the one to swim free.”

He shrugs. “I’ll swim butterfly. I feel nostalgic all of a sudden.”

I roll my eyes and he grins. He used to swim butterfly when we were friends, in junior high.

“I thought you sucked at butterfly,” I retort.

Kaede has no reaction whatsoever to my words, but Daisuke starts laughing.

“Hideo will swim backstroke,” the orange haired man continues. 

“I don’t want to swim breaststroke,” Daisuke complains. 

“Then go to another team,” Kaede replies immediately, locking his eyes with the brown haired swimmer.

Daisuke raises his arm, as if to surrender and Kaede turns to look at me and Hideo. “Everybody satisfied?”

No one comments on anything, so he gives a curt nod before he starts walking to the coach, to let him know his team is ready.

“I’m not buying it,” Daisuke tells me as he moves closer to me.

“What?”

“The story of how the lab messed the blood samples up and it was Shinobu the one who actually failed the doping test,” he says harshly. “Shinobu was my friend, he never would’ve done something like this.”

“Maybe you didn’t know him that well,” I retort.

If people knew what actually happened in Seoul, idiots like Daisuke wouldn’t get in my face like that.

“You ruined his career, do you even realize it?” he asks, raising his voice.

Before I know it, he pushes me into the pool. Taken by surprise, I swallow some water, so when I resurface, I embarrass myself with a few coughs.

I wipe the water from my eyes and look up to see Kaede’s outstretched hands. I slap it away angrily, then grab onto the edge of the pool and pull myself out.

“Be patient, man, the relay hasn’t started yet,” someone comments, making the people around him laugh.

I resist the urge to place my palms over my ears and just muffle the sound. I hate when people laugh at me.

“Behold, the gold medalist from Seoul,” Daisuke mocks me, grinning. “You fell like a brick.”

“Daisuke, enough,” Kaede snaps. He looks around, until he notices one of his friends. “Naruse, let me have Akito, I’ll give you Daisuke.”

Naruse’s eyes widen in shock. “Really? Hell yeah,” he says, then grabs Akito’s arm and pushes him unceremoniously towards Kaede. “Shoo.”

“Naruse, what the fuck!” Akito exclaims, at the same time as Daisuke says “Kaede, I was just joking.”

The coaches’ whistles silence everyone and we’re asked to take our positions by the starting blocks. 

“Hideo, Akito, I assume you know what happens if you’re too slow, right?” Kaede asks him, with a huge smile on his face.

Akito passes a hand over his face and Hideo swallows hard, then adjusts his swim cap and goggles and enters the pool. 

“I didn’t ask for your help so don’t expect any thanks,” I mutter to Kaede, without looking at him. 

“Daisuke pissed me off anyways. He’s a good swimmer, but a horrible person.”

“Reminds me of someone else,” I comment and Kaede chuckles.

“Take your marks!” the coach announces.

The swimmers dive back at the sound of the whistle and immediately, the deafening sounds of their teammates yelling encouragements fills the space. The air vibrates with their screams and the power emanating from the swimmers racing each other.

I have to admit, I missed swimming a relay. For a second, I think about Ikuya and how I wish he’d be here too, but then I remember his refusal yesterday. All I wanted was his support when Kaede apologized to me.

I grit my teeth as I realize I’m angry with everyone I care or used to care about. Including myself.

“Hiyori.”

I look up, forcefully torn from my thoughts. Kaede is on the starting block, swim cap and goggles on and his fist is stretched towards me.

My stomach hurts as I remember that he used to do this exact gesture every time we swam together in a medley relay in junior high. I tentatively raise my hand and I’m about to fist bump him, when I recall the sharp pain I felt in my wrist when it got broken because of him.

My knuckles are inches away from his when I stop myself and let my arm drop, then look away.

“Pay attention,” he says, letting his own arm drop as well. 

Kaede turns his face towards the pool and takes his position, then dives the instant Akito’s fingers touch the wall. 

I step on the starting block, my eyes fixed on Kaede as he gracefully cuts through the water. I wish I could say that his butterfly stroke is rusty, but he’s as fast as I remember him from all those years ago.

I take a deep breath and look at the other swimmers. Kaede is catching up to them and passes them one by one, which is amazing.

There’s a burning feeling in my chest as I watch him swim towards me, a feeling similar to the ones I got in my races in Seoul. I want to win, I want to be the best swimmer.

Kaede slaps the wall and I dive. The burning feeling in my chest spreads to my limbs, empowering my strokes as I cut through the cool water. I’m fast, but not desperate to win, like I thought myself to be. I’m simply enjoying the speed at which I’m swimming.

The race is over before I even realize it and I gasp as I resurface, with my palm against the cold wall. I remove my swim cap and goggles and grab onto the edge of the pool as I catch my breath. I know I finished first, judging from the cheers from my teammates.

This time, when Kaede offers me his hand to help me out of the pool, I don’t slap it away.

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s late, maybe past midnight. My wobbly legs can’t hold me much longer, so I decide to sit on the starting block my team used today.

I sigh, remembering the feeling I got after I finished first today, winning the medley relay for my team. The bliss of swimming and winning filled the empty space in my chest, but only for a short while.

I take another sip from the whisky bottle I stole from the party in my Uni’s campus building. Some upperclassmen decided to throw a party and invite swimmers from Naribusawa, since they had such a good time together today.

They were drunk already when I left, so I assume no one noticed me taking a full bottle of whisky. I raise it, squinting my eyes at it. I only took a few sips, how come it’s half empty?

I shake my head, then pull my phone out of my pocket. My thumb is shaking as it hovers over the screen, right above Hana’s ID caller.

I drink from the bottle again and again and again, thinking that the next sip will give me enough courage to call her.

Drops of water start falling on my phone’s screen. I look up, thinking that it’s raining and I stare dumb founded at the ceiling.

I miss Hanabi so much. 

I drink from the bottle of whisky one more time, ignoring the tears running down my face. I miss Hana, I hate being on my own.

Being alone is better than surrounding yourself with people that will inevitably end up hurting you.

I want the empty feeling in my chest to go away. I want to feel the joy of swimming again. I look down at the water and it’s so still I can see my reflection perfectly. I bend my body, trying to get closer and see myself better, when suddenly, the cool water envelopes me.

That’s it. That’s the feeling I was longing for. I belong here, in the water. I’ll never get hurt again if I simply stay down here.

I close my eyes and relax, letting the cold water welcome me. I don’t know which way is up or down, all I know is that it doesn’t hurt anymore.

I’m forcefully pulled out of the water, but I don’t want to. I try to fight back, but my limbs are paralyzed. There’s a hard surface underneath me and my chest hurts. 

I snap my eyes open as a fit of coughing suddenly hits me. I roll to my side and cough again and again, struggling with short, painful intakes of breath.

“What the fuck have you been doing?” someone asks me.

I think I recognize the voice, but I feel too exhausted to raise my head and identify him. He helps me lie on my back after the coughing is over and I can breathe normally again. I close my eyes and let him rest my head against something hard and warm, but not hard like the floor, more like…something muscled.

Warm fingers press against my cold forehead as my wet hair is being pushes away and that’s when I decide to open my eyes again.

I find myself staring right at into Kaede’s golden eyes. I blink, shocked as I realize my head is resting against his thigh and he’s staring back at me. The smug grin is gone from his face, replaced by a genuinely worried expression.

“Did you drink that bottle of whisky by yourself?” he asks me in disbelief. “Do you have a death wish?”

“Did you pull me out of the water?” I inquire when I’m confident I can talk. My voice is hoarse and it hurts to speak, probably because of the violent coughing fit.

“Didn’t you know? It’s my new hobby, saving people from drowning,” he replies dryly. “Now, seriously, Hiyori, what the fuck were you thinking?”

I raise my hand in front of my face and analyze my wrist. I know it has been broken and I remember the pain, but there’s nothing visible on the skin. As if it was all just a bad dream.

Kaede grabs my hand and rubs his thumb against my wrist. “I don’t know how many times do you need me to apologize for hurting you, but I will do it until you forgive me.”

“We used to swim together in medley relays in junior high,” I say quietly. “But then you suddenly decided that you’ll switch to freestyle and leave everything behind.”

I sigh, remembering his condescending smirk he used to keep plastered on his face ever since he came back from the freestyle training camp and could swim faster than any of the kids in the swim club.

“Being faster in the pool wasn’t enough for you anymore. You started getting into fights, you always had a bruised eye or a split lip, but…you should see the other guy. That’s what you always said.”

I shake my head and get up in a sitting position. “Until that guy was me. Tormenting me with words wasn’t enough, when your new friends dared to push me off the bike on that hill, you didn’t say no.”

Kaede runs a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think you’d break something. It was just a stupid prank in my mind.”

“You left me there,” I say, raising my voice. ‘Alone, in the street.”

“I panicked,” he replies instantly. “The beatings had gotten worse and I thought…”

Kaede presses his lips together and looks away.

“What beatings?” I inquire, when he doesn’t continue his sentence.

“I hated you because of your easy family life,” the orange haired man confesses. “I envied you so much.”

“My parents left me alone almost all the time, how was that an easy family life?”

“At least your dad didn’t get drunk every night and turn you into his personal punching bag.”

My eyes widen. “So, the bruises…?”

He nods. “I didn’t get into street fights, I simply spread that rumor so the other kids won’t pity me. Hiyori, I’m truly sorry for leaving you there alone, crying in pain. I panicked thinking what my father would do to me if he I got suspended for something like this.”

I can’t believe I never noticed something like this. Ikuya knew him since they were little, but he still had no idea about the abuse Kaede was going through.

“I treated Hanabi and Shinobu badly when my mom remarried because I envied them for the love their father showered them with,” he says, shaking his head.

Maybe it’s the alcohol in my system, but I hear myself asking “How is Hana?”

“Still heartbroken over the fact that Shinobu cut ties with her completely. He blames her the most for the outcome of our stunt. She’s back in Tokyo.” He pauses. “I’m mending things with her. Well, at least I’m trying to.”

“She asked me for a break,” I tell him. I don’t know why I’m telling him this. “How long do I have to wait?”

“That’s none of my business, Hiyori,” Kaede replies. “Just call her.”

I shake my head. “I can’t.”

The orange haired man doesn’t insist on the subject and I sigh in relief. Him playing Cupid for me and Hana would’ve been too crazy for me anyways.

Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe the fact that he saved me from drowning, maybe because I feel guilty about stuff, I reach out my hand to him and clench my fingers into a fist.

“I still hate you, but I enjoyed swimming a medley relay with you.”

Kaede looks at me for a few seconds, without moving a muscle. I’m about to let my hand drop, when he raises his and fist bumps me.

“So did I.”


	73. Ikuya's POV

I stifle a yawn as I close my phone and place it on the nightstand, then rub my tired eyes. It’s past 1 am and Hiyori isn’t home yet, so I might as well go to sleep and talk to him tomorrow morning.

The door opens and I flinch, because I wasn’t expecting it so suddenly. My eyes widen when I see Hiyori walking in, dripping water everywhere. His hair and clothes are soaked, for whatever reason and he’s swaying as he moves. I realize that he’s drunk.

Hiyori stops in the door frame, shocked to see me in our room. “Ikuya? What are you…”

I close the distance between us and throw my arms around him. Taken by surprise, Hiyori hugs me back, chuckling as he pats my back. “Did something happen?”

“I want to apologize for not taking your side yesterday,” I mutter, tightening my arms around him. “I won’t let go until I’m positive you forgive me.”

“Then let’s stay like this for a while,” Hiyori jokes, but he buries his face in the crook of my neck. He smells of chlorine and whisky and he feels ice cold.

Someone clears his voice and I look over my friend’s shoulder, surprised to see Kaede behind him. He’s watching us with an amused smile and I notice that his clothes are wet, too. 

“Does Asami know what you guys do when you’re alone?” he teases.

“Ah, yes, Kaede is here,” the auburn haired man tells me, laughing as if he just told us the funniest of jokes. “Ikuya, it’s okay,” he adds, swinging an arm over my shoulders and guiding me towards the bed. “I’m not mad at you anymore.”

“What is he doing here?” I inquire as I sit on the edge of my bed. I wasn’t supposed to be here tonight and the thought of Kaede and Hiyori together, in our room, late at night, makes me imagine things I shouldn’t be thinking about.

“He’s here because he’s wet,” my best friend responds, calmly, as if it’s something perfectly normal. “What are you doing here?”

“I signed some papers and got discharged earlier,” I admit, stretching my legs on the bed and leaning back into the pillow. “You didn’t come to visit me today and I was worried…”

Hiyori shrugs. “I was angry with you,” he says, unexpectedly honest, probably because of the alcohol. “But I’m fine now.”

Kaede snorts as he takes of his T shirt. “And here I was, thinking I’d get to spend the night with Hiyori alone. He’s drunk, I saved him from drowning…”

“That sounds like a cheap porn movie scenario,” I comment, grimacing. 

“But now, the best friend is also here, which means…”

“Please don’t say threesome,” Hiyori intervenes. “Oh, fuck, I said threesome.”

Kaede throws his head back, laughing. “See? Hiyori knows what I’m talking about. When in doubt, have a threesome.”

“Stop saying threesome!” I exclaim, shaking my head when the other two cackle. “Why are you naked?” I ask Kaede when he removes the last piece of clothing.

“I was promised a shower and a bed,” he replies, casually walking towards the bathroom.

“You should get rid of your T shirt, too,” Hiyori tells me. “I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

I don’t know when he got so close to me, I swear he was across the room from me a second ago. He grabs the edge of my T shirt and starts pulling it off, but I grip his wrist.

“It’s fine, I can do it myself,” I mutter, but still let Hiyori take my T shirt off when he insists. “What happened to you, Hiyori?” I ask.

Instead of answering me, my best friend crawls into bed with me and swings an arm over my chest. I gasp as his cold skin comes in contact with my own and I try to push him away, but he won’t budge.

He falls asleep in two seconds.

“I see you started without me,” Kaede comments as he comes out of the bathroom, with a small towel wrapped around his hips and another one draped across his head.

“Stop it already,” I retort, rolling my eyes. “Care to tell me what happened to Hiyori?”

“Long story short, he stole a bottle of whisky from a campus party, drank more than half of it, then decided to drop into the pool, head first. For some reason, he didn’t want to come out of the water.”

My mouth drops open. “He was drowning?”

Kaede nods. “I managed to pull him out of the water in time. He was lucky I decided to swing by the pool, anyways. I don’t usually leave early from parties, but this one was boring enough to make me want to go swim.”

I look up at the ceiling. “Why do we keep failing him?”

Kaede looks away and starts wiping his hair, pretending he didn’t understand my question.

The orange haired swimmer decides to stay the night, since it’s 2 am by the time he’s finished drying his hair and changing into some spare pajamas I lend him.

I wake up early the next morning, because Hiyori’s arm slips to my abdomen and the sharp pain jolts me awake.

As if sensing me, my friend rolls to his other side without waking up and I breathe a sigh of relief, finally free to move. 

I notice the other bed is empty and made up. Kaede must have woken up and left at an ungodly hour. 

I smile to myself and shake my head slowly. The three of us hadn’t had a sleepover since the first year of junior high. I turn my head towards the nightstand, remembering how Hiyori was obsessed with coffee ever since and Kaede would always buy him an Americano before he woke up.

There it is. A Starbucks coffee cup is sitting on the nightstand, with Kaede’s handwriting on it.

Happy headache! K.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I feel like throwing up again,” Hiyori tells me on our way to class. He’s gripping the coffee cup so tight that his knuckles are white. “Are you sure you’re okay, Ikuya? Should you be walking around so soon?”

“I’d lose my mind if I had to stay cooped up in our room,” I reply. “I swear I’ll pretend not to know you if you throw up in public, Hiyori, mark my words.”

A chuckle escapes his lips, followed immediately by a groan. “My head,” he whimpers, pressing his hand against his forehead.

“I’ll give you my painkillers,” I joke and he throws me a dirty look.

I tried talking to him about the previous night, but he cut me off immediately, saying it was just a simple mistake. When I insisted, he hugged me and said “Now I know how terrified you must have been when it happened to you,” so I had no choice but to drop the subject.

The day goes by slowly, boring course after boring course. Maybe I’m just restless, because I haven’t been able to swim in a long time. I’m itching to dive and feel the cool water envelope me, to pick up speed stroke after stroke.

I sigh, letting go of such thoughts as I leisurely make my way back to the dorms, now that the courses are over. I pull out my phone, thinking about texting Asami, when I suddenly see Hiyori. I’m surprised to see him in the campus grounds, since he was supposed to be at the pool right now. I’m about to call him when I notice that he’s talking to a girl.

She’s got red short hair and she keeps pulling at the hem of her skirt as their conversation progresses. Eventually, she places her hand on his shoulder and leaves, whereas Hiyori turns on his heels and starts walking in the direction of the swimming pool.

~~~~~~~~~~

“What?” Asami’s eyes are huge. “Do you think they’re going out or something?”

I shrug. “I thought Hiyori was still upset over Hanabi,” I tell her. “Maybe they were simply talking.”

My girlfriend snorts. “Sure. Let’s ask him when he comes back.”

“Let’s not meddle,” I say, shaking my head. “Leave Hiyori alone, Asami.”

“You don’t really think they were simply acquaintances, Ikuya. What could they be talking about?”

I roll my eyes. “People of different gender can be friends without flirting, you know? Like Sayuri and Haru.”

“They used to fuck. For a long time, I might add,” she points out.

“Well, then…like you and Sousuke.”

“Are you serious right now?” she deadpans.

I pass a hand over my face, remembering that she and Sousuke have a history together. 

“My point exactly,” Asami says, laughing. “Think about us when we first met. You kept staring at my tits and I was already fantasizing about your long fingers.”

“I wasn’t staring at your tits,” I retort. “Okay, fine, maybe a little,” I admit when she raises an eyebrow. “That reminds me, as soon as the doctor lets me swim again, put on that red swimsuit again.”

The door opens right then and Hiyori walks in, cutting off whatever Asami was going to say.

“Hello,” my friends says as he drops his gym bag by the door. “What are you guys doing?”

“We were talking about my tits,” Asami replies matter of factly.

“Asami!” I exclaim, my cheeks warming up.

“Very mature,” Hiyori replies, without batting an eye. 

“And you,” she adds, grinning like a predator.

That stops Hiyori in his tracks. “Why?”

“Ikuya saw you talking to a girl in the campus grounds, when you were supposed to be at the pool already,” she tells him immediately.

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “I told you to keep quiet about it.”

“And that usually works wonders with your girlfriend,” Hiyori points out. “What about it?”

The brunette looks at him surprised. “Are you really willing to talk about it?”

He shrugs. “It’s nothing much, really. She was only…”

Asami gets up on her knees, in the middle of my bed. “She confessed her feelings to you, right? Am I right?”

Hiyori looks taken aback for a second. “How did you…you know what, never mind. It was probably obvious.”

“What did you answer?” I inquire.

“What about Hanabi?” Asami adds.

The auburn haired swimmers raises his hands at us. “Calm down, you two.”

“Toono, talk before I make you talk,” the brunette threatens him. “I’m dying of curiosity here.”

Hiyori lets out a deep sigh. “I told her I’ll give her the answer tomorrow evening, after practice.”

Asami claps her hands, excited. “This is just like a high school drama, I love it!”

“The situation with Yui from the other day was the same,” he points out and she squints her eyes at him.

“How about we don’t mention that little bitch again? I never got to rip her hair out.”

I wrap an arm around her waist. “Calm down, love. Take a deep breath.” I turn my head to Hiyori. “So, what are you going to do tomorrow? Turn her down gently?”

“Why should I? I’m single and I like her looks. I don’t think I can find a good enough reason to turn her down.”

I open my mouth to ask about Hanabi again, but he locks eyes with me and warns me with one look. I press my lips together and let my eyes drop, because I don’t want to argue with him.

Maybe it’s revenge, maybe he just wants to move forward. Maybe he just wants to fuck her. It’s none of my business.

Asami is finally quiet as she types messages back and forth and I bet she’s texting Sayuri about what Hiyori just told us.


	74. Hiyori's POV

Haru has been staring at me for the past fifteen minutes and I can’t take it anymore. I know I’m frowning as I turn to him, when suddenly he grabs me by my shoulder, pulls me closer and gives me a one armed embrace. The hug lasts exactly five seconds, then Haru let’s me go and says “I heard about it from Kaede.”

My mouth drops open and I stare at him, dumb founded for a second. Then, both to my surprise and his, I throw my head back and start laughing. Out loud. In the middle of the swimming area belonging to Hidaka Uni.

Haru has no emotion whatsoever on his face as he watches me laugh like a lunatic. I wipe a tear, realizing that I’m actually laughing at his expression – or lack of.

Rin walks over to us, raising an eyebrow at me and I wave my hand.

“I’m scared to ask,” he eventually says and it almost triggers another laughing fit.

“Your boyfriend needs to be taught how to comfort someone,” I tease, grabbing Haru’s shoulder when he squints his eyes at me.

“That’s a lost cause,” Rin comments. “Points for trying, I guess. Are you okay now, Hiyori?”

I shrug. “I guess so. I don’t know what Kaede told you guys, but it’s most likely not what is sounds like.”

I won’t let these guys know how far gone I’ve actually been. No one needs to know, not them, not Ikuya, no one. I’ll bury those dark feelings deep inside of me and hide them there forever. 

Rin folds his arms over his chest. “Let’s have a medley relay. Maybe you’ll feel better?”

“Ah, yes,” I tease. “For people likes us, medley relay is like going to therapy, right?”

The crimson haired boy chuckles. “You can say it again.”

Haru scoffs at our teasing. “I’m not swimming with you today. Not a chance in hell.” 

“Oh, come on, Haru, we were just joking…Haru, where are you going?”

Rin follows his boyfriend as he stomps away, then dives into the pool right before being caught.

“What are these two up to now?” Asahi comments as he appears next to me.

I shrug. “Usual fuckery, perhaps.”

“I don’t want to be mean, but I miss the days when their hid their relationship,” the redhead mutters, sighing. “Now, when I look at them interract, I always feel like I shouldn’t be watching, like I’m interrupting something.”

“You’re too sensitive,” I reply. “They’re not very different now…”

“Yes, they are,” Asahi interrupts me. “They always look at each other like they want to tear their clothes of and go at it.”

“Like I said. Nothing new,” I deadpan. 

Asahi turns to look at me. “How have you been, Hiyori? You acted a lot different ever since you guys came back from Seoul. Are you…”

“Ask me if I’m okay and I’ll end you,” I cut him off. “Let’s not mention Seoul ever again.”

“I get it, I get it,” the redhead says, holding his hands up as if to surrender.

The shared practice with Hidaka Uni is going to end just like the one with Naribusawa Uni from the other day, with a medley relay race. The coach from Hidaka starts naming temporary team captains and when he reaches Rin, he says “You can’t have Nanase in your team.”

“What, why?” Rin inquires.

“Because it’s not fair having two freestyle medalists in the same team.”

“I’m also a butterfly swimmer,” he points out, but the coach isn’t having it.

Then, it’s the turn of our coach to name team captains. I’m surprised when he starts with me, because after last time, I wasn’t expecting it to happen.

I feel my lips curve into a smile as I turn my head to look at Haru. The coach didn’t tell me I shouldn’t pick him, so I walk over to him instantly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rin complains.

~~~~~~~~~~

“We’re going out to eat, want to come with us?” Rin asks me. “Makoto is coming with us too, he has returned from Iwatobi this morning.”

I heard something about Makoto, that his maternal grandparents died and he had to stay in Iwatobi for a while, to help his parents.

I shake my head and try to stall as much as I can while I’m getting ready to leave. “No, thanks, guys. I have plans.”

Asahi grins and elbows me in the side. “Oh, I heard about it, too. Moving on so fast, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

I plaster a smile on my face, but choose to say nothing. I watch Asahi and Rin grab their backpacks and leave, then turn my head to Haru, who’s still lingering behind.

“I know what you’re doing,” he says quietly. 

I raise an eyebrow. “I’m gathering my things.”

Haru snorts. “Yeah, sure. Did you forget that I’m friends with Sayuri?”

“I still don’t know what you mean,” I tell him, shrugging. “Did she say anything interesting?”

“Is this revenge, Hiyori?” he insists. “Because you don’t know the whole story, if that’s the case.”

My eyes widen. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Haru.”

“Fine, be like that. I was just trying to help you, Hiyori. You don’t have to keep everything in, you know. You can talk to us,” the brunet says.

“I appreciate it, but I’m fine. I still don’t know what you’re taking about, but I appreciate the concern. Have a nice night, Haru.”

He stares at me for a few seconds, as if he wants to keep going, but he eventually turns on his heels and leaves.

Finally alone, I finish gathering all my things and put them in my backpack, then swing it over one shoulder. I check the pool area and the locker rooms, then I leave as well, satisfied that I’m alone.

I stop in front of the swimming center for a short while and look around, before I make my way to a nearby tree. I lean with my back against it and let my backpack drop on the ground. I take my phone out of my pocket and force myself to check my email, then scroll through Instagram.

I know she’s there, behind the other tree. I saw her ever since I came outside. I want to be patient and wait for a while longer, pretend that she’s not there. There’s a small voice in my head that tells me I’m making a mistake, that I shouldn’t do this, that it’s wrong. I should just talk to Hanabi, not play like this.

“How long are you going to stay there?” I ask out loud suddenly, before I change my mind. “Aren’t you here to find out what my answer is?”

There’s rustling behind me and I hear footsteps approaching. I slip my hands in my pockets, forcing myself to keep still and maintain a calm appearance. Only when she’s in front of me do I look up. My eyes widen in shock when I see her. Her hair is pulled up in an elegant bun, held together by an ornate hair stick, she’s clearly wearing a dress underneath the long black blazer and her high heels make her legs look deliciously long.

My mouth gets dry and my tongue feels like sandpaper as I stare at her. She’s several steps away, as if she can’t bear to be closer to me.

“You took your time revealing yourself,” I comment.

My voice sounds unbelievably hoarse, even to me.

Hanabi wraps her blazer tighter around her body. “I didn’t think you’d know I was there.”

“Why are you here, Hanabi?” I ask, resisting the urge to press a palm to my chest and quiet my heart.

She presses her lips together, without giving me an answer, so I start walking slowly towards her.

“And dressed so nicely,” I add, letting my eyes linger on her body. “Are you going on a date or coming back from one?”

I stop when I’m right in front of her, close enough to see the different shades of silver that make up her beautiful eyes.

Hanabi drops her gaze, but I grip her chin and raise her head. “Why are you here, Hanabi?”

She pushes my hand away and clears her voice. “I thought…” She shakes her head. “Never mind. I’m simply early, aren’t I?”

“Early for what?” I press, slowly moving my hands up her arms, until I reach her shoulders.

Hanabi shivers visbly and closes her eyes. “Stop it, Hiyori. I know what you’re here for.”

“I’m here for you.” I move my fingers gently on the length of her neck, then press them on the back of her head.

Her eyes snap open. “That’s a lie.”

My lips curve in an amused smile. “You came here because you got jealous, didn’t you?” I grab the hair stick and pull it out of her bun, then run my fingers through her glossy hair.

“Stop touching me,” Hanabi demands and grips the material of my shirt with her trembling fingers. “I told you, I just needed time to process things and you couldn’t be patient even for…”

“Then why are you here?” I ask, interrupting her.

“Because…” Hanabi shakes her head angrily. “Is the story with the red haired girl that confessed her feelings to you even true?”

I chuckle. “I suppose you already know the answer to that by now.”

My smile falters when I remember Haru’s words. He said that I shouldn’t seek to get revenge on Hanabi, because I don’t know the whole story.

“Hanabi.” 

She raises her head and locks her gray eyes with mine. 

“Why are you dressed like this?”

Hana doesn’t break eye contact. “I was on my way to an engagement party.”

I swallow hard. “Whose engagement party?”

There was a pause and then she says “Mine.”

My eyes must have bulged out of their sockets, because Hana bursts out laughing. She punches me hard in the shoulder and I gasp, surprised.

“That hurt,” I mutter, rubbing my shoulder.

“Good,” she replies, clenching her fists. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through the past twenty four hours?” She sighs, then presses a hand over her chest. “This is ridiculous, Hiyori. You manipulated Asami into thinking that there’s a girl hitting on you, because you knew she’d immediately spill the beans to Sayuri, who’s a good friend of mine and would never keep her mouth shut. Did you make an experiment or did you…”

I grab her by the arm and pull her closer, then wrap an arm around her waist to keep her in place as I slam my lips against hers, silencing her. I let go of her arm just so I can press my fingers to the back of her head and slip my tongue between her lips as she gasps.

Hanabi struggles for a few seconds, half heartedly trying to push me away, before she abandons herself in the kiss. I tighten my arm around her waist and deepen the kiss, feeling like a drug addict that has just received the long awaited dose.

I release her just as suddenly as I pulled her to me and take a step back. Hanabi presses her lips together and I caress her cheek.

“Tell me the truth, Hanabi.”

She bites her bottom lip, worrying over it for a few seconds, but then she makes up her mind. “Shinobu said that he’ll forgive me if I cut ties with you completely.”

Ah, I think to myself, so that’s what Haru was talking about. He thought I knew about this and I wanted to get my revenge on Hanabi for choosing her brother over me.

“I see,” I reply, struggling to stay calm. I lower my head and kiss her forehead, lingering with my lips against her skin for a short while. “It’s okay, Hanabi. I’ll never make you choose me over your own family.”

“My dad hates you, thinking that you had something to do with Shinobu’s failed doping test,” she adds, shaking her head. “They have no idea I’m here, I pretty much ran away from my three year old cousin’s birthday party. I just need more time to think about it…”

“Like I said, I won’t make you choose me over them.” My throat hurts as I tell her this and my eyes sting with the unshed tears. Still, I control myself and appear calm. I even manage a smile as I gently pat her head and say “I wish you all the best, Hanabi.”

“Then forgive me and take me back!” she yells suddenly.

I open my mouth, ready to tell her not to worry about prioritizing her relationship with her family over mine and then her words sink in.

Basically, I’m just standing there, my mouth agape as I stare at her in disbelief. I feel like my brain just imploded.

Hanabi’s hands latch onto my shirt, squeezing the material tightly. “Forgive me for taking out my frustration on you, Hiyori. Forgive me for making you feel guilty for something you didn’t do. Forgive me for doubting you.”

It’s not that simple, I want to tell her. It’s not so easy, getting jealous over my made up story and coming here to claim me. Do you really love me, or are you just territorial?

However, I don’t ask her any of that. I simply open my arms and embrace her. I can’t live without her. I have an unhealthy obsession with her. 

The past few days without her, I felt like I was suffocating. Now that she’s in my arms, I feel like I’m drowning.

I don’t want to forgive her, but I don’t want to lose her, either. I want to keep her close and push her away at the same time. I want to hurt her for hurting me, but I also want to comfort her.

I think I need a drink to silence my own mind.


	75. Haru's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M/M smut ahead :>

I let out the tiniest sigh, but Makoto still hears it and tightens his arms around me. Rin looks away, trying – and failing – to muffle his laughter.

“Welcome back, Makoto,” I tell my friend, patting his back to comfort him. 

“Haru, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be in Seoul with you,” the brown haired man says.

“Don’t worry about it, Makoto. Rin took care of me.”

Makoto’s eyes are warm as he turns them to look at my boyfriend. “Yeah. I watched that dreadful press conference, too. I’m so sorry you had to go through something like this. All of you.”

Asahi clenches his fist angrily. “I would’ve loved to put that idiot Ji Hoon in his place. He kept taunting you guys and Hiyori during that press conference.”

I shake my head as I recall how Asami looked like after her altercation with the Korean swimmer. I was so angry with her for putting herself at risk like that, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but be proud of her for obtaining proof of Ji Hoon’s wrongdoings.

We all made an agreement before leaving Seoul, that we shouldn’t talk about everything that has happened. People tend to speculate anyways, especially regarding the doping drug test. I couldn’t lie to Makoto, however. After I almost drowned and Kaede saved me, Makoto called me and I had no chance of telling him that what happened was simply because of stress and fatigue. He knows me too well.

“What are you guys having?” Makoto asks as he studies the menu. “Not you, Haru,” he mutters, when I immediately reply “Grilled mackerel.”

Rin chuckles, then drops his head on my shoulder. “Guess what. I’m having grilled mackerel tonight, too.”

I press my fingers to his forehead. “Hm, you’re a little warm, but not feverish.”

He slaps my hand away. “I’ll show you something feverish. Later.”

Asahi groans and slaps a hand to his eyes. “Guys, I’m begging you, no bedroom talk at the table.”

Rin feigns innocence. “I mean I’d draw a hot bath for him.”

Makoto starts laughing. “I’m glad you guys are getting along so well.”

There’s a pause in conversation while we put in our orders, and then Makoto asks “Are you guys coming to Iwatobi for the festival?”

I turn to look at Rin and he grins. “Taking off your samue afterwards is going to be delighful.”

Asahi makes a gagging noise and Makoto chuckles. “I’m going to invite my girlfriend, Yumeko, as well. She’s getting along with the twins, which is a next level achievement.”

“Makoto’s younger brother and sister used to only like Haru,” Rin explains to Asahi, who nods, smiling.

We keep on chatting as we eat and for some time after that, before we decide to part ways. I call an Uber for me and Rin and he leans into me, hugging me from behind as we wait for the car to arrive.

“You’re very affectionate today,” I remark. 

“Does it bother you?”

I shake my head and Rin tightens his arm around me. “I want to make a mess out of you tonight.”

I let out a deep sigh. “Tempting, but we have a shared practice with Naribusawa Uni tomorrow.”

“So? Who cares if you’re a little slow? Or if you have teeth marks on your skin?”  
“I do,” I reply, hiding my smile. I like playing hard to get when Rin is like this. 

My boyfriend nibbles at the nape of my neck. “Maybe the coach won’t be as stingy tomorrow and let me have you in my team.”

“Or he’ll name me team captain and I won’t choose you. I’ll win anyways.”

“It’s not the same when you win as anchor for a team I’m not a part of,” Rin points out.

I shrug. “Winning with Hiyori today was good enough for me.”

Rin takes a step back, then dramatically slaps a hand to his chest. “My love, how dare you betray me like this?”

I start laughing and he does the same, before lowering his head and capturing my lips in a sweet kiss.

“Did you really mean it, about the festival in Iwatobi?” I ask against his lips.

“That I can’t wait to rip off your samue?” he teases, then traces my bottom lip with the tip of his tongue.

I playfully push him away. “You’re like a horny teenager, I swear.”

Rin snorts. “You say that now, but you never complain when I make you scream.”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t hide my grin.

The Uber cancels on us and then the second one I order does the same, so we decide to just walk all the way to our apartment. Our luck runs out completely when it starts raining, so Rin grabs my hand and we start running.

We’re completely soaked when we finally arrive to the apartment building and we can’t keep our chuckles in as we enter, dripping water everywhere.

I have no idea how Rin manages to control himself and behave, even in the elevator. My whole body is shaking with anticipation, so when he pulls me inside our apartment and slams me against the door, with his hands gripping my hips, I can’t help but moan.

Rin grins, his lips hovering over mine. “Look who got excited all of a sudden.”

I brush my fingers through his hair, then press them against the back of his head and pull him down for a kiss. I moan in his mouth when he rubs his palm over my throbbing erection, teasing me through my pants.

The crimson haired man turns me around, then starts guiding me in the direction of the bathroom, without breaking the kiss. He wraps one arm around my waist, supporting me when I trip and before I know it, I’m pressed with my cheek against the cold surface of the mirror.

Rin grabs me by my hair roughly, pulling my head back so I can watch my shameless reaction when he slips his hand into my pants and grabs me.

“You have such a hungry look on your face,” he murmurs into my ear as he latches his hand onto my neck. 

I whimper when he rubs his thumb over the tip of my dick, his hips pushing into me from behind at the same time.

“Rin, please,” I beg, locking eyes with him in the mirror.

“Already?” he teases me, with a malicious grin on his face. “The fun is just beginning, Haru.”

Rin turns me around and helps me settle on the sink, then grabs the hem of my wet T shirt and slowly removes it. I gasp when he pushes me into the mirror and my hot skin comes in contact with the cold surface.

His tongue immediately slips through my parted lips, tasting me, taunting me, driving me crazy. I’ll never get tired of kissing him. 

I place my hands on his shoulders, gripping the wet material of his shirt. I start pulling it off, breaking the kiss only for that one second it took to completely remove it and throw it on the floor.

Rin’s palms press against my ribs as his mouth reclaims mine and my body tenses when his thumbs rub against my nipples.

He pulls back, smiling as he moves one of his palms up my body, until it reaches my chin. He traces my bottom lip with his thumb, his eyes devouring me with burning desire.

Without breaking eye contact, I grip on his belt and remove it with fast, precise movements. I don’t look away, because I want to catch the exact moment my fingers grab at his erection and his eyes turn a bit soft at the pleasure that envelopes him as I start moving my hand leisurely.

Rin kneels between my parted legs, pulling my pants down as he lowers himself on the tiles. I throw my head back, moaning his name as his lips close around the tip of my dick, teasing it with his tongue before taking all of it in his mouth.

I tangle my hand into his hair and he grips my hips, sinking his fingers into my skin with bruising pressure, warning me not to move. He’s moving slow on purpose, teasing me, because he loves to watch me squirm.

“Rin, please,” I beg. I’m going mad with the effort to keep still, like he wants me to. “I’m close,” I warn him seconds before I pull out and come all over his chest.

I drop forward, wrapping one hand around his neck and keeping myself in place by grabbing his shoulder with my other hand, then slam my mouth against his, in a possessive, rapacious kiss.

“So aggressive,” he mutters against my lips, then helps me get down from the sink. “I want you on the bed, Haru.”

“I want you everywhere,” I mutter, pulling him down for another kiss as we clumsily go towards the bedroom.

We stumble in, falling on the bed all over each other, neither of us willing to break the kiss first. In a flurry of motions, we get rid of our remaining clothes and slips one finger inside of me. I thrash underneath him when he adds a second one, stretching me.

I tilt my head back, yelling Rin’s name when he sheathes into me. He peppers kisses all over my cheek bones and lips as he lets me adjust to the fullness of him. He starts to thrust slowly into me and I arch my back, letting him slide in even deeper.

Rin buries his face in the crook of my neck, sinking his teeth in the sensitive skin there as he picks up the pace. Sweet, delicious pressure starts building up into me and I find my release as soon as he gives my dick a few stroke.

I’m still muttering his name when he turns me around, pressing me into the bed with a hand on my back as he pushes into me again.

~~~~~~~~~~

I drop on the bed face first after my shower, barely able to move. My body hurts all over and I’m covered in hickeys and bite marks.

“Your phone vibrated while you were in the shower,” Rin tells me as he rubs his hand through my hair.

“Read the message for me, please,” I mutter, rolling on my side. “I don’t have the energy for that.”

He chuckles, then opens my phone and scans through the message first. His eyes widen and his smile disappears.

“It’s from Kaede,” he says. “He picked up Hiyori from a random park, he was drunk and crying.”

“What? Give me the phone.”

I call Kaede, who answers almost instantly. “Haru, were you sleeping?”

“No. What happened to Hiyori?”

“I don’t know, but he was drunk as fuck, I barely got him to take a shower and change into dry clothes.”

There is a pause and shuffling noise, before Kaede resumes talking.

“I’m out on the balcony now. He kept mumbling something about Ikuya, but he was crying so I couldn’t understand him too well. Of course, I called Ikuya to get to the bottom of it and apparently, he came home drunk, Ikuya tried to talk to him so Hiyori pushed him.”

“That’s messed up. Did Ikuya get hurt?” I ask.

“He said he was fine, but Asami was just coming out of the bathroom when this happened, so I can only imagine how she reacted. You know how protective Ikuya is of her, he didn’t tell me anything about that, so I don’t actually know what happened next, just that Hiyori ran away.”

“How did you find him?”

“He called me,” Kaede replies, sighing. “He was almost incoherent, but he managed to tell me where he was. He just wanted more booze.”

I rub the bridge of my nose. “Do you want me to come over?”

“No, I got him for tonight, but Haru…we need to do something. He’s on a self destructive behavior.”

“I know. Out of everyone, Ji Hoon managed to mess him up the most.” I pause, then suddenly remember that Hiyori refused to come with us to dinner because of some supposed plans. “Did something happen between him and Hanabi?”

“I have no idea, Haru. I’ll talk to her tomorrow, do you think she messed him up so badly tonight?”

“I…think it was my fault,” I reply, sighing. “I don’t know if you found out about this already, but apparently some girl confessed her feelings to Hiyori and he was going to tell her his answer tonight, after practice. I confronted him about this and asked him not to take revenge on Hanabi, because he doesn’t know the whole story.”

Rin pulls me into his arms and presses a soft kiss to the side of my neck, trying to comfort me.

“This is exactly why I told him it’s their deal and none of my business,” Kaede says. “Shinobu doesn’t give a shit about Hiyori, he just wants to hurt his sister because she betrayed him. She’s actually thinking about choosing Hiyori.”

“I know, Sayuri told me,” I murmur, closing my eyes. “I wish we never went to Seoul.”

“Me too, Haru. Me too.”


	76. Asami's POV

I let out a content sigh as I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a white, fluffy bathrobe Ikuya bought for my visits to his dorm room. I smile to myself, because sometimes I can’t believe how thoughtful he can be towards me.

I gather my wet long hair over one shoulder, then pull the hood on my head. Yes, the bathrobe has an equally fluffy hood. I take my hair brush and open the bathroom door, already thinking about what movie Ikuya would like to see tonight.

I freeze in the door frame and blink a few times, shocked by what I see. Right when I opened the bathroom door, I saw Hiyori pushing Ikuya so hard that my boyfriend stumbled on the floor. He clutched at his right side, his face contorting in pain.

Hiyori pushes his hands towards him, but I don’t want to see the end of this. Before I even realize what I’m doing, I raise my arm and throw my hair brush towards Hiyori. The brush collides with his head with a satissfying thud and taken by surprise, Hiyori stumbles backwards and falls right on his butt.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I ask as I furiously start making my way towards him.

“Asami, it’s okay, leave him alone,” Ikuya says, gripping my wrist when I’m in front of him. 

“How is this okay? He shoved you,” I retort, kneeling next to my boyfriend. I brush a hand through his hair. “Does it hurt?”

He shakes his head, but I know he’s lying. I turn my attention back to Hiyori, who’s sitting on the floor, with a hand pressed to his forehead, where the brush hit him. He’s not moving, he’s just sitting there, silently crying. I let out a deep sigh, feeling uncomfortable. 

“Hiyori…”

“It’s just your damn fault,” he suddenly snaps at me. His tone of voice makes it obvious that he’s drunk.

I roll my eyes and get up, then grab Ikuya’s arm. “Let’s get you into bed, okay? I’ll bring you an ice pack and then deal with Mr. Whisky here.”

Ikuya let’s me help him up, then he sits on the edge of his bed, patiently waiting me to bring him the ice pack. 

What I want is to throw Hiyori in the bathtub and turn the cold water on, so I could wake his drunk ass up to reality.

“Why did it have to be you?” Hiyori continues, raising his voice at me. “If only you didn’t exist, then none of this would’ve happened to us.”

“Hiyori, knock it off,” Ikuya intervenes, but I place my hand on his shoulder.

“What is your problem, anyways?” I ask Hiyori. “I saved you swimming career, didn’t I?”

“I didn’t ask you to do it!” he yells, fresh tears spilling on his cheeks. “I didn’t ask you to do anything, Asami. You were out for blood, as usual, don’t put it on me.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right,” I mutter, rolling my eyes again. 

I sit on the edge of the bed next to Ikuya and turn to look at him. “He’s your friend, now what?” I whisper.

“Hiyori, don’t you feel tired? You should go to bed,” my boyfriend tries.

“You’re no better than her,” Hiyori snaps at the teal haired boy. “She’s all you care about.”

The auburn haird man gets up suddenly and clumsily makes his way towards the door. He leaves the apartment right as Ikuya yells his name. However, by the time he gets up from the bed and reaches the open door, Hiyori is gone.

I approach Ikuya and hug him from behind, resting my forehead between his shoulder blades. I say nothing about the shivers going through him as he cries.

~~~~~~~~~~

I check my phone during the first break, sighing when I see I have no message from my boyfriend at all. Last night, after Hiyori’s drunk tantrum and dramatic departure from the dorm room, I stayed with Ikuya and slept there.

It didn’t take long before Kaede called Ikuya, informing him that Hiyori was safe and sound, sleeping at his place. Apparently, the auburn haired man had called Kaede and asked his former – actual? I can’t keep up – friend to bring him more booze and that’s how he was found.

I click my tongue, slightly annoyed as I throw my phone into my backpack. I grab onto the edge of the wall surrounding the rink, then stretch my back, before I raise one of my legs up, perfectly vertical.

Ikuya made me promise that I’ll keep my distance from their dorm room, at least for two days. Today, they all want to meet at Kaede’s apartment and try to mend things with Hiyori, then tomorrow Ikuya will try to make up for the long time he hasn’t been giving his best friend the attention he deserves.

Pretty pointless, if you ask me, but like Ritsu always tells me, maybe I just don’t understand the complexity of human emotions too well.

At least Sayuri and Sousuke land in Tokyo this evening. I can talk to them about all the shit that’s been happening. It’s better face to face than over the phone anyways.

“Did hell freeze over? Are you taking a break or are my eyes deceiving me?” Ritsu teases me, chuckling as he walks towards the rink.

I wave at him to hurry up. “You’re late, old man.”

He stifles a yawn, then sits down on a bench and starts putting his skates on. “I deserved that, I know I should’ve been here an hour ago. Let’s practice the free skate, okay? I came up with a way to make the step sequence even more elegant.”

I nod. “Perfect. I’ve been thinking about a new step sequence for the exhibition skate.”

Ritsu steps on the ice and glides towards me, smiling. We fist bump when he reaches me and he says “My perfect student.”

“You’re still late, no matter how much you compliment me,” I retort, sticking my tongue at him and he laughs.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Sayuri shrugs. “They called him as soon as we landed. The boys are bonding.”

I pass a hand over my face. “This is getting ridiculous if you ask me.”

My best friend starts laughing. “I know, right?”

“Oh, well, let’s just start the night with some Margaritas,” I say, going to the kitchen to start preparing them.

Sousuke and Sayuri moved back into her father’s house, since it didn’t make any sense for them to rent an apartment. Me and Ritsu were welcome to stay here as well, but he decided to rent an apartment that’s closer to the rink where he’s training me all day long. One month isn’t a long time, anyways. We’ll be coming back to Tokyo anyways after the Grand Prix Final, so we could have our long awaited rest.

Sayuri follows me into the kitchen, where she casually sits on the island, crossing her legs. I start pouring the tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice and she claps her hands enthusiastically when I salt the edges of one of the glasses.

"Just like a pro," she says and I chuckle.

Suddenly, both my phone and hers start ringing. She gets down from the kitchen island and walks over to the living room as she picks up hers, whereas I wedge my phone between neck and shoulder after I answer it.

“Hey, love. How are you doing?” I ask.

“We’re fine, I think,” Ikuya replies. “I called to let you know that we’ll be gone the next three days. We’ve decided to go to an onsen together and we’ll be returning at the end of the week.”

I pause as I finish salting the rim of the second glass of margarita. “Okay, then. Be sure to take care of yourself, Ikuya. Do you want me to help you pack your bags or something?”

He chuckles. “I don’t know why, but I expected you to be angry about this.”

I roll my eyes, knowing that he can’t see me. “I won’t meddle into your guys’ brotherhood or whatever. Just don’t forget your ice packs.”

“Yes, mom,” he teases me and I can hear the smile in his voice. “I love you, Asami.”

“I love you, too. Just one more question, should I expect no phone calls or messages until Sunday?”

“I’ll try to keep in touch,” he promises but I start laughing.

“I’m kidding. Have fun, Ikuya. Oh, who’s driving?”

“Rin and Makoto.”

“Thank the gods, you picked the responsible ones,” I comment. “Bye, then! I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Ikuya says, before hanging up.

I put my phone back into my pocket, then ornate the glasses with slices of lime. I take the glasses once I’m done and make my way to the living room, where Sayuri is just ending her phone call with Sousuke.

“They’re going to an onsen,” she tells me and I nod. “I’m jealous! Let’s crash their males only party.”

I hand her one of the glasses, then let myself drop on the sofa next to her. “Nah, let them be. We’ll be going to the festival in Iwatobi with them at the end of the month, anyways. Let’s hit the clubs this weekend.”

Sayuri clinks her glass to mine. “Cheers to that, sis.”

We keep chatting until Sayuri’s phone starts ringing again. She picks up without looking at the screen and her face takes on a surprised expression. “Hanabi, slow down.” Sayuri hums a few times, then adds “Yes, of course you can come over. No, don’t worry about it.”

She turns to look at me. “Hanabi got into a fight with her dad and kind of ran away from home. She’s coming over, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not.”

Maybe I can understand a bit more about Hiyori and why he had a mental breakdown. I’m sure Hanabi has interesting thing to tell us.

The timer of the oven sets off and Sayuri gets up. “I’ll go check the food, open the door for Hanabi when she gets here, okay?”

I nod and settle into the sofa as I take another sip from my glass. I take my phone and start scrolling through Instagram, before I decide to post the selfie Ritsu and I took together at the rink today.

I’m still messing with the filters when I hear the doorbell ring, so I place my glass and phone on the small table in front of the sofa, before I make my way to the door to open it.

Hanabi is holding her cat in one arm and dragging a suitcase with the other one. She’s not wearing any make up and her eyes are a bit red and swollen, so it’s obvious that she’s been crying.

“Let me help you,” I say, motioning for her to give me the suitcase. 

“I didn’t know you were here,” she mutters as she walks inside.

I shrug. “Don’t tell me you’re mad at me as well, because I’ve had enough.”

Hanabi’s eyes widen. “What? No, I didn’t mean it like that. Who else is mad at you?”

“Your boyfriend,” I reply as we both walk into the living room.

“Speaking of him, do you know anything about Hiyori from Ikuya? He’s not answering any of my messages of phone calls…”

I blink, surprised. “You don’t know? All the boys are bonding or some shit. They’re leaving to an onsen tomorrow morning.”

Hanabi’s mouth drops open as she stares at me.

“I’m gonna go make another round of Margaritas,” I offer. “Then you’re going to tell me everything that has happened, because my brain can’t take it anymore.”

Hana simply nods, still unable to form words.


	77. Kaede's POV

I place both hands on Kyoko’s neck, tilting her head back as I give her a goodbye kiss. The official story is that she didn’t notice how late it got while she studied with one of her classmates. Being a high school senior is tough, with finals, lots of homework and having to worry about college entrance exams as well. However, she always comes when I call her.

“Such a good girl,” I murmur against her lips, before I trace the contour of her mouth with the tip of my tongue.

Kyoko’s eyes flutter open and she grins. “For now.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Are you provoking me?”

She checks her watch and sighs. “I wish, but I should’ve been home hours ago. Maybe next time.”

She stands on her toes and gives me another kiss, before she waves at me and leaves my apartment. I close the door after she’s gone, then I make my way to the living room and sit on the sofa.

I rest my head on the back of the sofa and close my eyes, but I don’t get to relax for too long, because my phone starts vibrating. I answer without opening my eyes and press the phone to my ear and mutter “Yeah.”

There’s a chuckle first and then a familiar drunken voice says “Kaede, come drink with me.”

“Huh?” I straighten my back and check the screen for the caller ID. “Hiyori?”

“Mhm hmm. But you have to bring it.”

“Bring what?” I ask, still surprised that he called me.

“Booze. Whatever you wanna drink,” he murmurs into the phone, so quietly that I barely understand what he’s saying.

“Hiyori, what happened? Where are you?” I press, already getting up and making my way to the door.

“Ikuya…my fault…I want to forget.”

I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose. “It’s okay, Hiyori. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“No, come drink with me.”

For fuck’s sake.

“Yes, I’ll bring you whisky, is that okay?” I sarcastically say. “Now tell me where you are.”

“It’s a park. I like this park.”

Resisting the urge to bang my head against the wall, I keep asking him about his location. Fortunately, the park that he’s at is not that far away from me, so I decide to just walk there. I buy a bottle of water on my way there, immediately noticing Hiyori, since the park is completely empty, except for him.

“Here,” I say, giving him the bottle as soon as I’m right in front of me. I comment nothing on his tear streaked cheeks as I add “Let’s go somewhere fun.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I drop myself on the floor, leaning with my back against the bed frame, completely exhausted. It took a lot of effort to convince drunk Hiyori to take a shower, change into some of my clothes and then go to bed. I felt like punching to sleep, honestly. Not only do I have to give up my only bed and spend the night on the uncomfortable couch, I almost had to beg him to go to sleep. 

Hiyori kept muttering something about hurting Ikuya, so I get up and move to the living room, in order to call the guy and ask what the fuck happened between them.

Ikuya answers almost instantly and he starts by asking me “Is Hiyori with you? Is he okay?”

“Yes and I don’t know. I’ve managed to put him to sleep somehow, but he was messed up completely. Did something happen between you two?”

There’s a pause and I don’t press him, I just let Ikuya find his words and tell me what happened.

“I noticed he was drunk from the moment he came into our dorm room, he was acting weird, saying stuff like he’ll give up on swimming and so no. I just tried to get him to sit down and tell me what happened, but the second I touched him, he shoved me. I didn’t actually fell hard or anything, but…”

I hear Asami’s voice in the background saying “Just admit you were in pain, Ikuya.”

The teal haired man clears his voice, before he continues “The point, Asami saw this and got a little angry.”

I snort. “A little angry, mhm hmm. Did she kick his teeth off or punched his skull open?”

“No,” Ikuya says immediately. “Asami would never hurt anyone like this. Hiyori simply left the apartment before we could talk to him.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, because Ikuya can’t actually see me. Asami would never hurt anyone, he said. Yeah, sure. 

However, now that I think about it, I didn’t notice any bruises on his face.

“Alright, then,” I settle on saying. “How about I skip school tomorrow, you come over and get to the bottom of things? Other than talking to him, I have no idea what to do.”

“I know.” Ikuya’s voice sounds defeated. “I feel like I’ve failed him.”

I scoff. “Don’t get soft on me, Kirishima. I’m not your girlfriend, I’m not going to comfort you.”

“I wouldn’t even want you to comfort him. Hands off.” 

I laugh as I hear Asami’s voice again and even Ikuya chuckles.

“Okay, then. See you tomorrow,” Ikuya tells me as a way of ending the conversation and I hang up.

I try to call Haru next, but he doesn’t answer. He’s either sleeping or having sex and in both cases, he may not call me back.

I lie down on the couch, folding my arms underneath my head. I almost text Kyoko to tell her about this, but then I remember that Kaede – sama doesn’t complain to his girlfriend.

I’ve spent too much time with these nerds, I’m slowly turning into one, I realize and horrify myself. I have to do some cool shit tomorrow, get my glow back.

I’ve almost drifted off when Haru calls me back. The conversation with him gives me new insights on Hiyori’s problem and I promise him to talk to Hanabi in the morning. That’s a lie, of course. Hanabi hates when people meddle into her business, I learnt that the hard way, so I won’t shatter the fragile relationship I’ve just built with her. Finally, when I go home to family dinners, there’s someone there who doesn’t treat me like I don’t exist.

I throw the phone on the small table in front of my sofa and roll on my side, trying to get comfortable. I know I won’t be able to sleep to well, but I have to at least try.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m not a fucking coffee machine.”

When I rented this apartment and left the dorms, I was finally happy to be alone once in a while. Now, my precious place has swimmers everywhere, all of them asking for coffee for some reason, even though it’s pretty late in the afternoon.

“Haru, I swear, if you start cooking in my kitchen, I will end you,” I threaten the brunet when he starts making his way to the kitchen.

“Just relax already,” he counters. “I’m going to make coffee myself, if you don’t want to.”

I throw my arms up and say “I give up. Do want you want.”

I don’t understand how Hiyori is still able to sleep with all this noise. I let Ikuya hung out in my apartment all day while I was attending courses, but he told me that Hiyori didn’t wake up at all. Long live the booze, I guess. 

Asahi swings an arm over Ikuya’s shoulder. “When are you going back to Uni and swimming practice?”

He shrugs with one shoulder. “Soon, I guess. I’m itching to get into the water.” His vermilion eyes settle on Haru. “I call dibs on Haru as soon as I can swim.”

Rin scoffs from across the room. “No, you don’t. Haru’s mine.”

“Knock it off, you two,” the brunet comments as he comes towards us.

Feeling mischievous all of a sudden, I grab Haru as he walks past me and pull him on my lap. Rin gasps as I wrap both arms around his boyfriend’s waist. I grin, and open my mouth, pretending to bite Haru’s shoulder, hoping I would get a funnier reaction.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” he exclaims, furiously stomping in our direction.

“Calm down, Rin, calm down,” Makoto tries, holding his hands up. “Kaede is only joking.”

In the midst of all this, Hiyori wakes up. Ikuya is the first one to notice and he gets up from the sofa.

We all stare at the auburn haired man as he gets up in a sitting position and rubs at his eyes. He presses his fingers on his forehead, whimpering because of his monstrous headache, I assume.

It takes him almost a whole minute to notice us. His mouth drops open in slow motion and his eyes widen.

“What the fuck…” 

“Hiyori, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Ikuya cuts him off as he walks over to the bedroom. 

He sits on the edge of the bed and throws his arms around his best friend, hugging him tightly. Makoto smiles sweetly at them and Asahi grins.

“This is ridiculous!” Hiyori exclaims after he’s fully dressed and has joined as in the living room.

I hand him a cup of strong coffee and roll my eyes. “Tell me about it. My apartment turned into an AA meeting.”

He squints his eyes at me. “Hilarious.”

“Hiyori, I want to start by apologizing to you,” Ikuya says. “I know I’ve been really selfish lately, I’ve only focused on myself.”

Rin places a hand on Hiyori’s shoulder. “We understand now that you’ve had to deal with the trauma alone.”

Asahi mouths to Makoto “What trauma?” and I realize that no one has bothered to tell him the truth.

Hiyori looks from one guy to the other, until he settles his eyes on me. “Did you do this?”

I shrug and tighten my arms around Haru. Despite Rin’s complaints, I didn’t want to let him go. “Do what? Allow a group of nerds and Haru into my apartment?”

“Why is Haru always mentioned separately?” Asahi points out, much to Rin’s annoyance.

“Guys, I’m fine, seriously,” the auburn haired swimmers says, when he sees that I’m not going to give him a direct answer.

“No, you’re not,” Haru intervenes, for the first time. “I have Rin, Ikuya has Asami and you were supposed to heal with Hanabi’s help, but she had to deal with some stuff of her own.”

Hiyori drops his gaze. “It’s not like I need her to help me,” he mutters, but it’s obvious that he’s lying.

“I have an idea,” Makoto says. “It’s no use pressuring Hiyori right now. Let’s all go to an onsen for a few days, take our time to talk about what really happened to you guys in Seoul.”

Hiyori raises an eyebrow, surprised. “What about school and swimming?”

“We can ditch school for one day,” Rin points out. “Okay, I’m in! I even texted Sousuke to come with us tomorrow. I even told him not to tell Sayuri anything for now, we’ll let the girls know about our plan tonight,” he adds, looking at Ikuya, who breathes out a sigh of relief. “Who’s dealing with the reservations?” he asks, turning his eyes to Makoto.

“Makoto,” Haru replies, when the light brown haired man remains silent.

Then, the brunet turns to look at me. “You didn’t say anything.”

I blink at him, surprised. I honestly didn’t realize I was invited, but I don’t say it out loud.

“I don’t know,” I settle on saying. “Do you think I’ll behave?”

“I’ll make you behave,” Rin mutters, audibly cracking his knuckles.

“Rin, knock it off, he’s got a girlfriend,” Haru intervenes.

Asahi looks like he’s been punched in the face. “Why does everyone have a girlfriend?”

Ikuya claps his hands once. “So it’s settled. Makoto, we’re counting on you to make a reservation for all of us.”


	78. Ikuya's POV

“Wow, you’re not holding back on the details,” Kaede comments as he crouches down behind Haru.

The brunet is sitting cross legged on the pavement next to the hot spring, very focused as he draws someone. That someone is definitely his boyfriend and considering Kaede’s comment, Haru is most likely drawing him naked. Also, judging from Rin’s crimson cheeks, it’s not the first time naked drawing of him.

Hiyori starts laughing and I feel a pang of jealousy.

It feels weird that Hiyori interacts with Kaede better than he does with me. He’s supposed to be my best friend, but he’s been avoiding me ever since we came to the onsen.

He still refuses to talk to any of us about what’s bothering him, though. I know it’s only the first day, but I can’t help but feel worried about him.

I sigh, unintentionally blowing bubbles in the water, as I’m submerged up to my nose. That draws Hiyori’s attention, but he immediately looks away when I notice him.

This situation sucks.

“What do you guys want to eat for dinner?” Makoto asks as he pulls himself out of the water. “We have to let the landlord know at least an hour before dinner time.”

“Mackerel,” Haru responds, his eyes locked on his drawing.

“Who punished you to be the mom of the group?” Kaede teases Makoto. 

The light brown haired man chuckles. “Have you met these guys? Someone has to do it.”

“Order some sake, too,” Hiyori intervenes.

“No!” Rin exclaims, at the same time with Kaede who comments “Are you fucking kidding me?” and Sousuke who says “We’re underage,” while shaking his head.

We all turn to look at dark brown haired man, who immediately clears his voice. “I meant that we’re not supposed to be drinking anyways.”

Hiyori chuckles. “I see it was too soon to be joking about that.”

I roll my eyes. “Were you even joking?”

“Yes, I was,” he replies, his voice harsh.

I flinch, then look down, suddenly embarrassed by my question. I keep messing up.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Let’s play something,” Makoto suggests as we’re all sitting inside the inn, after dinner. 

We’re all stuffed with the delicious food the landlord has cooked for us and we’re wearing comfortable white robes. It’s been a long time since we’ve been soon relaxed, doing nothing all day than soak in the hot water and eat delicious food.

“Since it feels like a school trip, how about truth or dare?” Rin asks.

“I used to play spin the bottle on my school trips,” Kaede replies, licking his lips.

Haru shoves him. “We can’t play that right now.”

The orange haired man smirks. “We should play that privately, Haru, you’re right.”

The brunet wraps one arm around Rin’s waist, keeping him in place while the crimson haired man struggles and shouts “I’ll kill him, let me go, Haru!”

“Truth or dare sounds good,” Sousuke intervenes, forcing a laugh as he gently pats Rin’s shoulder. “Rin, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he replies instantly. “Dare me to strangle Kaede.”

“I dare you to stay still for five minutes,” Sousuke says. “And to calm down.”

Rin huffs and folds his arms over his chest. “Fine, then.” His eyes travel on our faces, until they settle on the redhead. “Asahi, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to go ask the landlord’s daughter for her number.”

The redhead grins. “Leave it to me.” He gets up and leaves the room with a confident air around him, but when he comes back, not even five minutes later, there’s a red mark on his cheek. He’s pouting as he sits back down on the floor and folds his arms over his chest. “Go to hell, Rin.”

We all laugh, since it’s obvious he not only got rejected, but slapped as well.

“Ikuya, truth or dare?” Asahi asks me before anyone can tease him.

“Truth.”

“Is it true that you haven’t had sex with anyone but Asami?”

I blush instantly and look away. “Yes.”

“That’s explains why you’re so obsessed with her,” he adds, laughing.

I clear my voice. “I’m not obsessed with her.”

“I would be obsessed with her, too,” Asahi mutters, then grabs his cup of green tea. “She’s hot and psycho.”

“She’s not psycho, stop it, Asahi,” I growl. “Stop thinking about my girlfriend.”

He raises an eyebrow at me, grinning and I realize that I’ve just proven his words. I clear my voice again, then turn my eyes to Hiyori. Usually, when we play this game, we always pick each other when it’s our turn. However, when I lock eyes with him, Hiyori looks away.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Kaede exclaims, taking all of us by surprise. “Why are you acting as if someone died?” He grabs the material of Hiyori’s robe and pulls him closer. “Hiyori, truth or dare? I suggest you pick truth.”

The auburn haired man swallows hard, intimidated. “Truth,” he eventually murmurs.

“Perfect. Is it true that you met with Hanabi yesterday evening and that’s why you got drunk?”

“Oi, Kaede, leave him alone,” I intervene.

I’m about to get up, when Haru places a hand on my shoulder and shakes his head.

“How about you tell me first what you know?” Hiyori says, suddenly getting angry as he slaps Kaede’s hand away.

“Why would I?” the orange haired man retorts, unaffected. “So you can go around pitying yourself again? Do you need a drink to have this conversation?”

“Fuck you, Kaede,” Hiyori snaps, clenching his fists.

Kaede looks at his fists and whistles, the corners of his mouth curling upwards. “Are you going to punch me?”

“Guys, calm down,” Makoto tries, but neither of them pays attention to him.

“This is so much better than the classical truth or dare,” Asahi comments.

Rin slaps a hand over his mouth, trying to force himself not to laugh. I bite my bottom lip, because despite my worry for Hiyori, Asahi’s comment was inexplicably funny. Kaede throws his head back, shamelessly laughing and eventually, we all follow his lead. 

We’re laughing histerically after a short while, because as soon as we try to stop, at least one of us bursts out laughing again.

“There’s clearly something wrong with you, Asahi,” Hiyori says, wiping a tear.

“I didn’t mean it as a joke, you’re all on drugs if you found it funny,” he replies, cackling. “But I’m glad you’re all feeling better now.”

Hiyori blushes slightly and looks away, a bit embarrassed once everyone calms down. “I’m sorry for ruining everyone’s mood,” he says, his voice quiet. “I know it’s not fair to force my problems on you.”

“What’s the actual issue with you, Hiyori?” Haru asks softly. “We don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to us.”

The auburn haired swimmers lets out a deep sigh. “I feel like you and Ikuya have dealt with something far worse than me and I should be grateful for that. Instead, I’m apparently the one struggling the most with what happened.”

His eyes settle on mine. “It’s not like I don’t appreciate Asami’s help, she did save my swimming career, but she did that by ruining Shinobu’s image.”

“Shinobu ruined himself by using enhancing drugs,” Kaede points out. “Can you believe that he still sucks as a swimmer even by using them?”

“Not exactly where I was going, but okay,” Hiyori replies, chuckling.

I feel that pang of jealousy again. Those two were at each other’s throats a minute ago and now they’re joking together.

“So, did you or did you not talk to Hanabi? The suspense is killing me,” Asahi intervenes.

Hiyori sighs. “I did, but I don’t know what to make of what she told me…”

“You don’t believe her,” Haru supplies. 

“Does everyone here know about my drama with Hanabi?” Hiyori asks, squinting his eyes.

“Not really, so please continue,” Asahi responds.

Hiyori sighs again, probably for the tenth time. “Long story short, her family hates me and Shinobu is asking her to break up with me for good . In return, he will forgive her for her part in Asami’s plan.”

“That’s horrible,” Makoto says. “It’s not okay to make her choose.”

“She told me she wants to choose me,” Hiyori murmurs.

“And you’re afraid that she’ll change her mind,” Sousuke comments, participating in this conversation for the first time. “Would you have been this insecure if the shit in Seoul didn’t happen?”

“Probably not,” I reply in his stead. “As far as I know, your relationship with Hanabi didn’t have any ups and downs, right?”

Hiyori shakes his head, but he’s still not looking at me and it hurts.

“My advice is to simply talk to her and wait things out, see what happens,” the dark brown haired man suggests. 

“It’s easy for you to say that, Sayuri’s father loves you,” Hiyori bites out.

“It all depends on Hanabi,” Rin intervenes. “Is that what you think? Do you think Haru and I would’ve been together right now if he decided that it all depends on me?”

Haru stares at his boyfriend, surprised and Rin grabs his hand, intertwining their fingers. “I’ve put Haru through a lot and he still didn’t give up on me. My advice is to ask yourself what you really want and act accordingly. Also, don’t deny your feelings. If you’re sad and you want to curl in ball and cry your eyes out, who gives a fuck? Do it. Don’t drown your senses in alcohol.”

“What if I want to quit swimming?” Hiyori asks, without looking at anyone in particular. 

The silence that follows is almost palpable.


	79. Hiyori's POV

“What if I want to quit swimming?” I repeat, angrier this time. “What is the first thing Hanabi will think about?”

There it is. The thought that has been nagging me this whole time, driving me insane. This little thought that I didn’t even know I had until a minute ago, when it exploded inside my mind.

“That you’ve lost it completely,” Kaede suggests.

I resist the urge to punch him in the mouth, because it will prove exactly what he said. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself and say “That I sacrificed Shinobu’s dream for nothing.”

The orange haired man snorts. “You’re so dramatic, Hiyori.”

“I don’t expect you to understand what it means to care about other people, Kaede,” I tell him before I can stop myself. 

I feel guilty instantly, because I was cruel to the person who took care of me twice when I was drunk. I look away because I expect Kaede to snap at me or humiliate me, like I deserve, but to my surprise, he starts laughing.

“Feisty, aren’t you, little mermaid,” he comments. “Come on, don’t be shy, Hiyori. We’ve all gathered here to listen to you. Get it all out.”

My stomach clenches. I feel worse than I would’ve felt if he had just yelled at me. He used innocent words, but the tone of his voice snapped me like a whip.

The sudden noise of a slap draws my attention back to Kaede. He’s got a surprised look on his face as he is covering his left cheek with one of his hands. His eyes are wide as he stares at Ikuya.

“Never call him that again,” the teal haired man says. His voice appears calm, but there’s a coldness to it that scares me.

Kaede grins. “Oh, good. So your balls aren’t actually rolling around in Asami’s bag, next to her lipstick.”

Ikuya’s mouth drops open and his cheek turn a deep crimson.

“Kaede, enough,” Haru intervenes, rolling his eyes. “That was uncalled for.”

“I’m sorry,” the orange haired swimmer says, but he looks completely unapologetic. 

“Hiyori, are you honestly thinking about giving up swimming?” Makoto asks, his voice gentle.

“What’s the point, anyways? People will always think that I used whatever connections I had to drop my failed doping test on Shinobu. I feel no matter how many medals I’ll win, there will still be people who think I don’t deserve them.”

“You sounds just like Rin. Why is the opinion of unknown people so important to you?” Haru asks.

Sousuke rolls his eyes. “As expected from you, Nanase.”

“What is that supposed to mean, Yamazaki?” the brunet snaps, frowning at Sousuke in an uncharacteristic fit on anger.

“Stop!” Rin yells so loud that both Haru and Sousuke press their lips together. “How the fuck did we go from let’s help Hiyori overcome his issues to arguing with each other over stupid things?”

Asahi claps his hands. “Go, Rin!”

The crimson haired man passes a hand over his face and Asahi chuckles. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

Kaede rests his chin atop his hand and looks at me. “Don’t you feel better?”

I raise an eyebrow and he adds “It’s pretty fucking obvious that you’re not the only one with issues, like you thought inside that scrambled brain of yours. You’re just too hard on yourself, Hiyori.”

The orange haired man gets up and pats my shoulder. “Give yourself a break and stop being so harsh on yourself,” he says as he starts walking towards the door. “Good night, guys. See you tomorrow.”

“I feel outsmarted by the bully,” Sousuke points out and everyone starts laughing.

Everyone but Ikuya.

~~~~~~~~~~

I can’t sleep with all these thoughts swarming in my head. I get up in a sitting position and look over to the futon next to mine. Asahi is sleeping soundly, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Eventually, we all decided to call it a night and go to bed. Every room has two futons, so I expected Ikuya to share the room with me. Imagine my surprise when he asked Sousuke if he minded having him as a roommate during this trip.

I put my glasses on, then get up. I have no chance to sleep anyways, so I might as well go for a walk. I leave the room quietly, because I don’t want to wake Asahi up and decide to explore the garden surrounding the inn. It’s pretty huge for such a small in and it gives you the feeling that you could get lost in it.

I walk around aimlessly, my eyes getting used to the darkness little by little, until I notice someone sitting on a bench. As I approach them, I notice that the person is leaning back and is holding something to their side.

I immediately recognize Ikuya and my heart skips a beat. With all my embarrassing whimpering from earlier, I completely forgot about his injury. He surely must be in pain, after travelling by car for quite a long time.

I stop beside him, feeling hurt that he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence. He must have heard me.

“Ikuya?” I call out softly. “Can I sit next to you?”

He flinches and looks around, confused. He rubs at his eyes and I feel stupid all of a sudden. He wasn’t ignoring me, he was sleeping.

Ikuya nods, then wraps his robe tighter around his body. “Can’t sleep?”

“Yeah,” I reply.

“Me neither,” he mutters, looking up at the sky. 

“Does it hurt?” I ask, pointing at his side.

“It’s fine now, the ice packs help a lot,” he replies. Ikuya suddenly turns his head to me, locking his eyes on mine. “Hiyori.”

“Hm?”

“I have failed you as a friend, haven’t I?”

I blink, confused. I heard the words, but I can’t understand the meaning of them. 

“What?” I ask, feeling dumb.

“You were struggling so much and I didn’t even notice,” he says, sighing. “I had no idea you were even considering to give up swimming. Hiyori, I…”

“I’m the one who failed you,” I interrupt him when my brain finally gets over the initial shock and starts working. “Because of me, you got hurt. Because of me, you got worried and discharged yourself out of hospital earlier. Because of me, you’ve endured a few hours in a cramped car. On top of everything, I got drunk and pushed you.” I shake my head. “I don’t know how to face you, Ikuya.”

He’s silent for a few seconds and I open my mouth, ready to apologize again, but he cuts me off by asking “So you’re not actually mad at me?”

“You should be mad at me,” I retort. “I’ve been a horrible friend. I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for causing your injury.”

Ikuya throws his arms around me, taking me by surprise. He embraces me so tightly that I can barely breathe, but I don’t complain. 

I don’t say anything either when I feel his tears on my skin, as he buries his face in the crook of my neck.

“Don’t give up on swimming, Hiyori,” he mutters, his voice breaking, and I nod. 

I wrap an arm around his as well, pressing the other hand to the back of his head. I can agree to anything Ikuya would ever ask of me.

“Let me protect you for once,” he adds, pulling back. “You’ve always protected me, Hiyori. Let me do the same this time. Who cares if others question your medals? The people that matter don’t judge you, Hiyori.”

“I caught you, love birds,” Kaede says, appearing behind us suddenly.

Ikuya rubs at his eyes, looking away so that Kaede won’t see his tears. The orange haired man doesn’t comment on that, though, he just slips his hands inside his pockets and looks up at the sky. 

“The starts are amazing tonight,” he mutters, with a hint of a smile on his lips. “Do you guys remember that trip to Hokkaido, in seventh grade?”

“When you got lost during the mountain hike and we found you bawling your eyes out?” I tease, which earns me a flick to my forehead.

“I wasn’t bawling my eyes out, you jerk. Some insect got into my eye right at that moment.”

“Crazy how these insects travel in pairs, so they could get into both your eyes,” Ikuya comments.

“Mhm hmm, just like they’ve swarmed your eyes tonight, right?” Kaede retorts.

Ikuya pouts and I chuckle.

“What I meant, before I was very rudely interrupted, was that we haven’t been on a trip together since that one in the seventh grade. We didn’t get to see the stars together for so many years,” he murmurs, looking up at the sky again.

I stay quiet, because I don’t want to shatter Kaede’s vulnerable moment. I remember that trip perfectly. The three of us were inseparable back then. 

“I’m sorry I slapped you,” Ikuya apologizes after a while.

“I’m sorry I insulted you. I actually like Asami,” Kaede replies, before turning to me. “I’m sorry I provoked you with so much cruelty.”

I blink, suddenly at a loss for words. Tears start flowing down my cheeks before I can stop them and both Ikuya and Kaede panic visibly.

I take my glasses off, unable to stop my tears, but smiling like the biggest idiot on this planet at the same time. I don’t know how, because my logic can’t help me with this, I managed to surround myself with so many friends. Even Kaede found his way back to us.

I thought I was destined to be alone, when in reality, I had so many people surrounding me, caring about me. I thought I had to drown my feelings, when all I had to do was ask for help.

I feel like the luckiest idiot alive right now. 

I only hope Hanabi can find a way to forgive me for real.


	80. Asami's POV

“Sorry, buddy, but she’s taken,” I say, possessively wrapping an arm around Sayuri’s waist.

The guy that has been hitting on her for the past five minutes grins. “Oh, wow, there’s two of you? How about we get out of here and go back to my…”

The sudden kick to his leg, right beneath his knee cuts him off. He falls forward, clutching at his throbbing leg and Sayuri cackles.

“You should’ve taken the hint, my girlfriend is the jealous type,” she adds, waving at the guy as we walk away from him, holding hands.

Hanabi stares at us with her lips slightly parted. “You kicked him in the leg,” she tells me stupidly.

“I did,” I reply, sitting on the velvet sofa in our booth. 

I like this club because the booths feel private, but at the same time you also have a clear view of the club itself from them.

“You called Asami your girlfriend,” Hanabi adds, turning to look at Sayuri this time.

“I did,” my best friend responds, laughing. “We always do this at the club, when guys hit on us. Then, it depends on his looks and behavior, maybe we take him home, maybe we kick him off. Literally.”

Hana’s eyes widen. “You…you share dudes?!”

I shrug. “Sometimes. We’re best friends, it’s okay.”

“You’re a pair of succubi,” she comments and we laugh. 

“Don’t worry, we’re good girls now. We’re loyal to our boyfriends,” I tell him, winking at Sayuri as we clink our glasses together.

Hanabi pulls on the hem of her tight black dress for the hundreth time tonight and I grab her wrist. “Just relax, nothing is showing.”

I borrowed her one of my club dresses, since we’re the same size. However, she’s a little taller than me, so the dress is slightly too short for her liking.

“I need a hoodie,” she mutters, crossing her legs.

“You need a drink,” Sayuri counters. “You’ve barely touched your cocktail. I’m confiscating this,” she adds, taking Hana’s phone from her hand.

“No, give it back!” she yells. “What if he calls?”

“He hasn’t called in days, honey. They’re coming back today so it’s not like he’s busy…”

Hana’s phone starts vibrating in Sayuri’s hand and my best friend stares ar it shocked.

“Well, fuck me,” she exclaims, grinning. Before Hanabi can stop her, Sayuri answers “Hello!”

There’s a pause, during which the chestnut haired girl keeps silently laughing. “Do I know you? I feel like I do, but I’m not sure…no, I’m not drunk, why do you ask?”

I throw my head back, laughing like a maniac at this point.

“Yes, Hiyori, we’re taking care of your precious girlfriend,” Sayuri eventually says, rolling her eyes. “No, I won’t put her on the phone and I won’t give her the phone back, so use that big brain of yours and come find her.”

Me best friend ends the call immediately after finishing her sentence, then looks at Hanabi with a grin. “If he’s crazy about you, he’ll find you. What are you doing?” she asks me, frowning when she sees me typing.

“I’m dirty texting my boyfriend,” I reply instantly, then stretch my arm so I can take a selfie.

The truth is that I was texting Hiyori and telling him the name of the club we’re at right now. According to him, they’ll arrive in Tokyo in about an hour and that is enough clubbing time for us anyways.

“Of course you are,” my best friend says, rolling her eyes. “Is he going back to Uni and swimming practice next week?”

I shrug with one shoulder. “I’m sure he will, even though I think he should take another week off. What about Sousuke, when is he starting his training?”

“My dad said that as long as he takes it slow, he’ll be fine. 

“I’m sure he’s desperate to swim competitively again,” Hanabi comments.

“You have no idea,” Sayuri replies, nodding. “I don’t know if you found out already, but there’s a competition in Barcelona next month. He’s pissed he only comes to support me.”

I grin. “I didn’t know about that. Does that mean I can force everyone to come cheer for me at the Grand Prix Final?”

“You bet,” the chestnut haired girl responds, mirroring my grin. “Our swimming competition is held one day after you event, which means we simply need to come a few days earlier.”

“And I can come watch everyone’s races!” I exclaim, raising my arms. “I love this.”

Hanabi sighs, pressing both hands to her blushed cheeks. “I never imagined I’d get to see you live, Asami.”

“I’ll win that gold medal, no matter the cost,” I reply, massaging my left ankle out of instinct. 

“I’ll win at least a gold medal as well,” Sayuri replies, taking my hand and squeezing it. “I’m serious this time.” She then turns to Hanabi. “Make a promise with us, too. You’re taking part in that novel competition, aren’t you?”

“What competition?” I inquire.

“There’s this publishing house that launched a contest. People have to submit their manuscripts and only one will be selected to be published, cost free,” Sayuri explains as she grabs Hanabi’s hand as well. “You’ll participate, right?”

The girl sighs, slowly shaking her head. “I don’t know, Sayuri. With everything that has happened, I don’t think I’ll get to finish my novel in time for the contest. Besides, Shinobu always said that writing novels is a hobby, not a job.”

I snort. “No offence, but how the fuck do you trust the words of a guy that uses enhancing drugs and still sucks at swimming?”

A chuckle escapes her lips before she can stop herself. “Kaede said the exact same thing. And okay, maybe he is a jerk, but he’s still my brother.”

“He should be supportive, then,” I retort. “Look, I don’t want to add insult to injury, I know you hold me responsible for ruining his career, but…”

Hanabi shakes her head, interrupting me. “I don’t, I really don’t hold you responsible. I acted like an absolute bitch, I know that now. I should’ve been there for Hiyori, considering all the things he’d been through, but instead, I turned my back on him.” She looks down and sighs. “He doesn’t trust me anymore and I get it. I asked for a break, then I stalked him because I got jealous and asked him to take me back. What kind of heartless bitch does that?”

“Asami did something similar,” Sayuri says, laughing and I stick my tongue out.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot about that,” Hana mutters, a bit embarrassed. 

I wave my hand. “I don’t get offended that easily. You know, the fact that you admit you were a heartless bitch is a big step forward. Tell him you were wrong, apologize, say I love you, then climb him like a tree. Problem solved.”

The chestnut haired girl passes a hand over her face. “What Asami means is that you need to talk to him and be honest about your feelings, before you climb him like a tree.”

Hanabi can’t stop laughing and me and Sayuri bump our fists. Mission accomplished. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Sayuri got drunk and sleepy in the end, just like she always does, so I called an Uber for us, after explaining to Hanabi that I’ve given Hiyori the name of the club and that she should probably wait for him there. After taking my best friend home, I decided to go wait for Ikuya at his dorm.

I’m wearing a skin tight black dress, fishnets, a leather jacket and combat boots, so I kind of understand why the students still walking around the campus, despite the late hour, are staring at me.

I can’t stop my grin when Makoto’s car pulls over and the guys get out. I walk over to Ikuya and wrap my arms around him as I press my lips against his.

My boyfriend breaks the kiss, looking at me up and down. “Asami, you look…”

“Like a snack,” Kaede suggests, whistling at me.

I flash him my middle finger and he laughs.

“No, but seriously Ikuya, why do you let her go to the club dressed like that?” the orange haired jerk asks. 

“I’m wearing combat boots,” I point out. “I can kick people with these and make it hurt.”

Ikuya sighs. “I don’t want even want to imagine how many guys have tried to hit on you, love.”

I trace his bottom lip with my tongue and Makoto looks away, blushing. 

“Are you jealous?” I ask, almost purring. “Am I in trouble?” I whisper and Ikuya’s arm around my waist tightens.

Kaede clears his voice. “Please tell me Hanabi isn’t dressed like you, Asami.”

I grin as I look at him, over my boyfriend’s shoulder. “She might have borrowed one of my dressed. I’m sure Hiyori will approve of it.”

We say goodbye to Kaede and Makoto soon after that, then we start walking towards Ikuya’s dorm room. I grab his hand, intertwining my fingers with his. “How was the onsen weekend with the guys?”

“We had fun and basically relaxed for three days. I missed you, though.”

My fingers tighten around his. “I missed you, too. You have no idea how hard it was for me not to text you.”

He chuckles. “Sousuke thought you and Sayuri would appear at the inn when we least expected it.”

“Sousuke knows his girlfriend well,” I reply, laughing. “That was the first thing Sayuri suggested, but I countered with an offer to take her to the club so I made her change her mind. I knew you guys needed these days to yourselves.”

Ikuya raises my hand to his lips and softly kisses my knuckles. “Thank you for understanding this.”

I nod, smiling as we walk inside the dorm room. Ikuya drops his bags and places his hands on my hips, slamming me with my back against the door as his lips claim mine. The kiss is rapacious, almost aggressive, in contrast with his earlier, soft one on my knuckles. I moan in his mouth when his palms move lower on my thighs.

A gasp escapes my lips when he rips my fishnets in one sudden motion.

“I’ve wanted to do that from the moment I saw you,” he mutters against my lips.

He pulls my bottom lip between his teeth, pressing on it gently, teasing me. 

“That was so hot,” I admit as I slip one hand underneath his shirt.

My palm is cold against his warm skin and he shivers, his abs contracting under my fingers. 

“I want you. Badly,” I tell him, moaning when he bites my bottom lip again, harder this time.

“I crave you. Badly,” he says as he pulls me by the hand in the direction of the bed.

I place my hands on his shoulders, pushing him down on the bed as I straddle him. His hands grip my hips, slowly moving me on top of him as I unbutton his shirt.

I press my lips in the middle of his chest, taking my time as I kiss my way up to his lips. Ikuya’s tongue is scorching hot as it slips between my lips, tasting me, taunting me as he presses me closer to him. He unzips my dress without breaking the kiss, his fingers tracing my spine.

I straighten my back so I can take my dress off, his hands immediately pulling me back down for another hot kiss. His fingers tangle in my hair and he pulls my head back, exposing my neck to his hungry mouth.

I whimper when he peppers kisses all over my jawline and moan when he moves his lips to the sensitive skin behind my ear.

I slither down on his body, licking my lips as I start to unbuckle his belt and unzip his jeans. Ikuya raises his hips and pushes his jeans off in one swift motion, then grabs me by my forearms and pulls me back on top of him. His rock hard erection rubs against me and I gasp.

I roll my hips on top of him, only teasing him, despite feeling like I’m on fire as well. I lift my hips a little and I grab him, stroking him a few times, before I guide him to my entrance.

I throw my head back, moaning as I slowly descend. Ikuya’s hands are gripping my hips with bruising pressure, his fingers digging into my flesh as he pulls me down until he’s fully sheathed.

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” he groans, thrusting into me impatiently.

I whimper, arching my back as I place my palms on his chest to support me. I raise my hips as I start to slowly move on top of him, trying to adjust to his size.

“You’re so beautiful,” he encourages me as I pick up the pace. “You’re perfect for me.”

He slips one hand between our bodies and presses his thumb against my clit, moving it in circulation motion. My moans are loud and shameless as I move on top of him, angling my body so he can slide inside even deeper.

The orgasm hits me hard and fast and I fall forward on his chest, yelling his name. I whimper as he raises his hips, thrusting into me a few more times as he finds his release as well, his arms wrapped almost painfully tight around me.

We stay like this for a while before I reluctantly get up. My body feels boneless as I begin to get up, but Ikuya pulls me back down, his lips finding mine.

I rest my forehead against his and we smile at each other.

“Do you want me to draw you a bath?” I offer, but he shakes his head and gives me another peck on my lips.

“I know you probably didn’t plan this, but do you want to stay over?” he asks me.

I nod, then place my lips onto his again. I feel like I can’t get enough of him, I want to be closer to him, even though we’re literally pressed against each other.

Eventually, I convince myself to get up and go take a shower. I wrap myself in my white fluffy robe and towel my hair a little, just so I don’t drip water everywhere. Ikuya kisses me on his way to the bathroom and as soon as the door closes behind him, I run to my leather backpack and take the wrapped up box out. I adjuts the bow on top of it, then sit on the bed, folding my legs underneath myself, as I wait for my boyfriend to finish his shower.

I took my time in the bathroom, just so it will be past midnight when he comes out of his shower. Soon, the door to the bathroom opens and Ikuya comes back into the bedroom. I sigh as I take in his taut body, covered in drops of water. There’s only one tiny towel wrapped low around his hips and he looks absolutely delicious. 

I can’t help but check the visible mark left by the surgery on his right side. It doesn’t look swollen or painful, so I breathe out a sigh of relief.

Ikuya glances at me surprised I raise the gift above my head.

“Happy birthday, Ikuya!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's exactly midnight as I post this chapter, which makes it officially March 3rd and Ikuya's birthday! <3 Expect an Ikuya's POV next, just like I did for Rin's birthday and Hiyori's birthday!


	81. Ikuya's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to our favorite IM swimmer, Ikuya! <3

Kaede drops his head onto Hiyori shoulder and looks into his phone. “What are doing?”

My best friend clears his voice and closes the display. “Nothing in particular. Have you heard about personal space?”

I chuckle and mirror Kaede’s position, placing my head on Hiyori’s other shoulder. The loud sigh that escapes his mouth makes both me and Kaede chuckle in amusement and snuggle even closer to him.

“I’m so sorry,” the landlord’s daughter tells us, from the front passenger seat. “Because of me, you’re so uncomfortable back there…”

Right before we left, Makoto overheard the landlord and his daughter talking about a way to get her to the nearest town and he immediately offered, since it was a relatively short ride.

“I’m pretty comfortable,” Kaede comments. “How about you, Ikuya?”

“Yup, I’m good,” I reply.

The girl laughs, a bit embarrassed as she turns to look at Hiyori. My best friend rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs. Then, before I even realize what’s happening, the auburn haired man wraps both arms around mine and Kaede’s neck, squeezing us tight enough to strangle us.

“There,” he says, grinning. “Let’s cuddle,” he adds, squeezing us even tighter.

Even Makoto starts laughing at this point. “Guys, what are you doing back there?”

“Time out, time out!” Kaede yells, patting Hiyori’s arm. “I give up!”

The auburn haired man releases us and I chuckle. “You’re so soft, Hiyori.”

He snorts. “Don’t tempt me, Ikuya.”

We’re silent until we reach the landlord’s daughter destination. She thanks us and then Makoto starts driving again.

Kaede grins. “So, are you going to call her?”

Hiyori adjusts his glasses and clears his voice. “I don’t know who are talking about.”

I elbow him in the side. “You’re playing with fire, you know that, right?”

He lets out a deep sigh. “If I were Hanabi, I would never forgive the idiot who didn’t call me for three days.”

Kaede rolls his eyes. “One way to find out,” he says and snatches Hiyori’s phone from his pocket.

“Hey, give it back!” my best friend yells.

“Sure, here you go.”

Hiyori’s eyes widen when he sees that Kaede has already dialed Hana’s number. His thumb hovers the end call button, but he hesitates for one second too long and the girl picks up.

The auburn haired man blinks, confused. “Who is this?” 

There’s a pause and then Hiyori passes a hand over his face. “Sayuri, can you put Hanabi on the phone? Yes, you know who I am…are you drunk?”

Kaede looks like he’ll suffocate with laughter and Hiyori elbows him hard in the side.

“Wait, don’t…she hung up,” my best friend informs us. “Sayuri just told me that to come find Hanabi,” he adds, with a dumb look on his face.

A few seconds later, however, his phone vibrates. The three of us check it immediately and Kaede raises an eyebrow.

“Isn’t Silver Key a strip club?”

He throws his head back, laughing when Hiyori face turns a deathly pale. “I’m sorry, it was a joke! Don’t die on me!”

He yelps when Hiyori elbows him again and I laugh as well, feeling proud of my girlfriend for texting him the name of the club.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Happy birthday, Ikuya!” Asami yells as soon as I get out of the bathroom.

Her arms are raises above her head and she’s holding a small black box, grinning at me.

“Is it midnight already?” I ask, immediately feeling dumb.

My girlfriend starts laughing, then motions for me to come closer. “Yes, it is. Happy birthday, love,” she tells me again.

I stop in front of her, right by the bed and she wraps her arms around my midsection. I place one hand on her cheek, angling her head as I lower mine to kiss her.

“Thank you,” I say, accepting her gift. 

I’m really excited to open it, but when I remove the black bow wrapped around the box, I get an idea. Asami raises an eyebrow at me when I leisurely wrap the bow around her neck, chuckling when I kiss her again.

“You’re my favorite present,” I mutter against her lips.

Her cheeks are starting to blush, so she clears her voice and shakes her head a little. “Damn, stop it,” she murmurs and I laugh. “Open your gift.”

I open the box eventually, my eyes widening when I take the silver bracelet out. “Wow, it’s amazing!”

“It’s engraved,” Asami mutters, blushing even harder.

I squint my eyes as I turn the bracelet around, trying to find the engraved writing. 

_Your love found my heart…_

I raise my head, ready to thank her, but my words get stuck in my throat. While I was busy reading the engraved writing on the bracelet, Asami had turned around and let the robe fall off her shoulders. 

She pulls her hair away, uncovering her back and on her right shoulder blade I notice a tattoo, five words surrounded by small feathers. The tattoo is not fully healed yet, but I can make out the words perfectly.

_…and my chaos found balance._

Asami looks at me over her shoulder, smiling. “Do you like it?”

“I’m speechless,” I admit and she chuckles. “So that’s why you didn’t want to take a shower together.”

I press a kiss to the nape of her neck, then hug her from behind. “I love you more than you can imagine, Asami. This it the most romantic gift I’ve ever received.”

“I love you, too, Ikuya.”

I sit on the edge of the bed and pull her onto my lap. Asami straddles me, hooking her legs behind me and I smile.

“Let me open my other present now,” I comment as I grab onto one end of the bow with my teeth.

~~~~~~~~~~

Natsuya wraps his arms around me, sniffling. “My baby brother!”

I roll my eyes and pat his back, as I look at our mother over his shoulder. She smiles at me as she ruffles my hair and says “Happy birthday, Ikuya.”

Natsuya decided to bring mom to Tokyo as a surprise for my birthday, so I’m basically going to spend the first part of the day with my family. Asami decided to take a break from practice for today so she can accompany us, much to my mom’s delight. She’s going to do a far better job than me at playing the guide through Tokyo for my mom, I’m sure of it.

The plan is to play tourists in Tokyo, then have a late lunch before my mom takes the train back to Iwatobi. I tried not to think too much about the fact that mom is only staying for only half a day in Tokyo. I also pretended not to see Asami texting Hiyori and Natsuya this morning.

As soon as he’s done with me, Natsuya throws his arms around Asami, embracing her tight enough to crack her bones. “Thank you for always taking care of my baby brother.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s a baby,” she murmurs, winking at me.

I blush, because I know she’s thinking about last night. And this morning. Just like I am.


	82. Hiyori's POV

Makoto pulls over right in front of the club and turns in his seat to look at me. “Good luck, Hiyori.”

“Thank you,” I reply, sighing. 

I’m nervous as fuck, because I don’t know what her reaction will be.

Kaede opens the car door and gets out first, so he can let me out as well. He grins at me when I get out of the car and opens his mouth, probably to say some shit, but I take him by surprise with a one armed hug.

“I’m sorry about what I said, when we were at the onsen,” I mutter.

Kaede snorts. “You’ve been feeling guilty about that this whole time? I didn’t take it personal, don’t worry.”

“Still, it was uncalled for,” I respond, smiling as I pull back.

He rolls his eyes. “I wanted to tease you, but you’ve ruined it,” he says as he gets back inside the car.

I wave at them and watch the car depart for a few minutes, trying to calm myself down. It’s just Hanabi, there’s no need to be so anxious.

Well, I’m nervous precisely because I’m about to meet Hana. 

I take a deep breath and turn on my heels, ready to enter the club, when I see her. My mouth drops when I see her dressed in a skimpy dress, black and skintight and so short that I barely covers her. I swallow hard, trying to force my brain to focus on apologizing to her, not direct all my thoughts into my pants.

Hanabi brushes her fingers through her glossy black hair, looking uncomfortable as she pulls on the hem of her dress with her free hand.

“Hey,” she says, looking everywhere but at me.

“Hey,” I repeat like an idiot.

I have to stop staring at her thighs. Why the fuck did she have to wear fishnets, for crying out loud? How many guys have been hitting on her tonight? Did she dance with any of them?

I shrug my jacket off, then force myself to walk towards her and cover her shoulders with it. Her lips curve in a shy smile as she zips my jacket up.

“I’m sorry it’s not a hoodie,” I tell her, feeling stupid and embarrassed, as if I’m talking to a stranger, not my girlfriend.

Ex – girlfriend? Actual girlfriend?

My brain needs a break.

“Want to go for a walk?” I ask and she nods.

We start walking aimlessly, in an uncomfortable silence. I’m hyper aware of her every move, my eyes always settled on her as she brushes a hand through her hair or needlessly adjusts the sleeves of the jacket.

“So…did you have fun at the onsen?” Hana asks me eventually.

“Yeah, it was okay,” I reply.

Brain, please, I’m begging you, I need more words. Poor girl thinks I don’t want to talk to her probably.

“Shall we take the long route through the park?” I suggest.

Hana stops in her tracks. “I don’t know, it looks a bit weird,” she mutters. “That part is completely engulfed in darkness…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you if anything happens,” I tell her, reaching my hand to grab hers.

Only when my fingers touch hers do I realize what I’ve just said. However, before I even get a chance to feel embarrassed, Hanabi grabs my hand tight and steps closer to mine.

“Alright, then, I guess it’s okay,” she murmurs.

“Hanabi…I’m really sorry about disappearing on you these past few days,” I finally say as we approach the area engulfed in darkness that she was talking about.

“Yeah, it was kind of scary,” Hana retorts, then clears her voice. “You didn’t trust me when I said I’d pick you, right?”

I sigh. “Millions of thoughts were going through my head at the time. I was considering giving up on swimming, both because I felt responsible about the rift between you and your brother and because of the distrust of people.”

Her fingers tighten around mine. “I didn’t realize you were struggling, I was so caught up in my own shit,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m an awful person.”

“No!” I exclaim, stopping in my tracks. 

I move in front of her and place both hands on her shoulders. “You’re the most amazing, loyal and brave person I’ve ever met. I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Hanabi. I’m the one who was too caught up in his own shit to realize that you simply needed time to come to terms with what Shinobu had done.”

She nods and I see the hint of a smile. “I left home.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

Her hands grip my wrists. “Dad told me to break up with you and I said no, took some of my things and Sushi and left. I’m staying with Sayuri for the time being, because the only other option was Kaede’s sofa and we’re not that friendly, so…”

I stare at her in disbelief. “That’s…are you sure?”

“Yes, Hiyori.” She grins. “I don’t negotiate with terrorists. I’ll just take another job and rent an apartment. If Kaede can do it, so can I.”

“Let’s move in together,” I suggest before I can really think about it.

I know that if I ponder the idea too much, I’ll be caught up in so many prons and cons that I’ll never make the decision.

Hana’s mouth drops open. “What?”

“Why struggle with another job when we can share the rent?” I add. “Besides, you have a novel to finish, right? The deadline of the contest is coming.”

Her eyes fill with tears and I’m scared I said something wrong, but I’m relieved when she throws her arms around me, hugging me tight.

“How did you know about that?” she asks between sobs.

“There’s this thing called Internet and another one called analytic brain that makes the connections,” I point out.

That earns me a very painful pinch to my side, but I don’t complain, because it is followed by a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~

Can you and Natsuya deal with the food? I got the drinks, Asami texts in the group she created with me, Haru and Natsuya so we can help her deal with the party stuff.

Sayuri offered to let us use her house to organize a surprise birthday party for Ikuya, which is why I’m up at 6 am, discussing plans.

Natsuya has decided to bring his mom to Tokyo, so that Ikuya could spend the first part of his special day with his family. 

After lunch, when his mom has to go back to Iwatobi, Asami will keep him busy in a way that I don’t even want to think about, then she will make up some excuse and bring him to Sayuri’s house.

I’m not that naive to imagine that Ikuya will be clueless, but a party is a party. There’s nothing wrong with it.

Hanabi stirs beside me, then cuddles closer to me. She’s completely naked under the blanket, so when she swings one leg over my body, I completely forget about my conversation with Asami.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Surprise!” we all yell as loud as we can when the door opens and Ikuya walks in.

His eyes widen for a second, then his smile lights them up. Asami squeezes his hand for a second, grinning at him and he gives her a kiss on the cheek, murmuring something to her before he starts interacting with everyone.

“Happy birthday,” I say, wrapping my arms around him.

“This is so cool,” he replies, beaming. “A surprise birthday party! I knew you guys were up to something, but this is next level,” he adds, laughing when Kaede swings an arm over his shoulders.

“Happy birthday, Ikuya – san,” Kyoko tells him, offering the gift she and Kaede have brought for him.

“Happy birthday, Ikuya,” Haru says in his usual serious tone, but his lips are curved in a small smile.

“No, it’s not mackerel,” Rin teases as he hands Ikuya their gift, which only earns him a hit to his side from his boyfriend.

Asami elbows me in the side. “You can let go of her hand, you know,” she teases me.

Hana blushes and chuckles and I tighten my fingers around hers. “I will never let go of her hand,” I inform Asami, on a serious voice. “I just got her back.”

“What did Ikuya think about the gift?” Hanabi asks her.

Asami grins. “Oh, he loved it.”

Sayuri calls her, so she excuses herself and leaves. I turn to Hanabi, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“She got him an engraved silver bracelet, see?” she explains, pointing to Ikuya’s left wrist. “She also got a tattoo. The message engraved on the bracelet and her tattoo form a sentence.”

“I’m actually impressed,” I reply and she chuckles.

“Arisu is the tattoo artist,” Hana adds. “She came to Tokyo for a few days, so I wouldn’t be completely alone against my dad.”

I sigh, shaking my head as I wrap an arm around her and pull her closer. “I should’ve been here with you.”

“You’re here now,” she replies, placing her palm on my cheek. “That’s all I care about.”

I lower my head and capture her lips in a sweet kiss. I vow to myself that I won’t disappoint this girl, ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are officially drama free! That means the festival chapters are coming up, before we move to Barcelona for the remaining competitions :D


	83. Rin's POV

I tilt my head back, letting out a content sigh after I press on the submit button for my last essay. I can finally feel like spring break is coming.

I hear Haru behind the coach and I smile, without opening my eyes. Just like I expected, he lowers his head and gives me a peck on the lips.

“Good job, Rin,” he tells me.

“Yes, good job submitting the essay ten minutes before the deadline,” I mutter and he chuckles.

“It’s before the deadline, not after. Doesn’t matter how many minutes before,” he points out, sliding on the couch beside me.

“You’re so lucky with your art major,” I tell him, brushing a hand through his hair.

Haru immediately drops his head on my lap, cuddling closer to me. “Keep going,” he purrs, grabbing my wrist and shaking it a bit.

“Did you finish packing your bags for tomorrow?” I ask him, leisurely moving my fingers along his scalp.

Silence.

“Did you even start?” I rephrase.

“I’ll do them tomorrow morning,” he replies, yawning.

“I want to leave early, Haru…”

“What’s the rush? Sousuke and Sayuri will be late, for sure.”

“I told Sousuke that we’re picking them up at 7 am.”

Haru groans. “I hate you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Onii-chan!”

Gou’s high pitched yell shatters my ears as she throws her arms around me, hugging me so tight that she almost crushes my ribs.

“What is he doing here?” I growl, circling my sister’s body with my arms in a protective way.

Seijuro waves at me from the table, where he’s sitting next to my mother, grinning like the idiot I know he is.

“Ah, I think I forgot to tell you that Gou’s boyfriend is coming as well,” my mom explains, smiling at me. “

“Her…what?” I ask, squinting my eyes at Seijuro, who does a poor job of muffling his laughter.

Haru pats me on the back. “Remember to breathe.”

He accepts a polite hug from my mom as well, then winces when my sister squeezes the life out of him next.

After that, Sousuke chuckles as he lifts Gou up in the air, embracing her tight. “I missed you.”

Sayuri bows when he introduces her to everyone and plasters a weird smile on her face when my sister grabs one of her arms and starts admiring her muscles.

“Are your parents well?” my mom asks Haru, as she invites all of us to sit down. “What about your sister?”

“Everyone is okay,” he replies. “She’s getting ready for the Grand Prix Final.”

“So, when’s the wedding?” Gou teases, laughing almost as loud as Seijuro.

Haru passes a hand over his face and my cheeks warm up as I grab my sister’s ponytail and yank on it. “You asked for it,” I tell her when she yelps.

A sudden image of Mikoshiba pulling her hair in a different scenario almost makes me flip the table, but Haru grabs my hand and squeezes my fingers, trying to calm me down.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ll kill Mikoshiba,” I inform Haru as we’re getting ready for the festival.

Haru sighs as he adjusts his samue. “Why?”

“That’s my little sister!” I exclaim, as if that wasn’t obvious.

“So? He’s a decent guy, we’ve known him for a long time and she likes him, didn’t you see how obnoxiously loud they were together?”

I roll my eyes. “Can you stop being reasonable for a second?”

He chuckles. “I have a sister, too, you know.”

“Gou is not like Asami,” I point out.

“Uhm, rude,” he retorts, but he’s smiling.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I just want to say that Asami is the independent rebellious type, whereas Gou…”

“Ogles naked men as a hobby,” Haru cuts me off.

I open my mouth, close it, open it again and end up closing it for good.

~~~~~~~~~~

Our group is so huge that it feels like we’re swarming the whole festival. Asami can’t stop making fun of the people holding Ikayaki, so Sayuri proceeds to push the head of the grilled squid into her friend’s mouth.

“It’s so big, isn’t it? Careful not to gag,” the chestnut haired girl comments, rolling her eyes and moaning.

Sousuke passes a hand over his face and Ikuya chokes on his drink, whereas Kaede almost suffocates with laughter.

“Too bad Nagisa and the others couldn’t come with us,” Makoto tells Haru. “They’re in Australia, for a competition,” he explains, when he notices me looking at them.

“We’ve signed up for the Barcelona competition,” I reply. “The Grand Prix Final this year is very important for Haru’s sister and he wanted to be there for her.”

“If she scores high enough, she’ll make the Olympic Team, right?” Makoto asks.

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Yumeko says, smiling as she clings to her boyfriend’s arm. “I almost couldn’t believe it when Makoto said he knows Hebi – chan personally,” she adds, chuckling.

Yumeko is a lot like Haru, she’s silent almost all the time and she looks uncomfortable in huge gatherings, such at this one. Ever since we came to the festival, she hasn’t let go of Makoto’s arm.

“Let’s find a good spot to watch the fireworks,” I hear my sister telling Seijuro.

I clench my fists and I’m ready to yell after them, when Haru places his hand gently on my shoulder. “We should do that as well,” he murmurs, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

The place we found is pretty hidden among trees, so no one can see us unless they come looking for us. Even so, I feel a bit shy when Haru grabs my hand, intertwining our fingers together. I know we’re basically out in the open, thanks to the press conference in Seoul, but this my hometown. Some people have known me and Haru ever since we were kids.

How I wish I was as calm and relaxed as Haru is. 

“Are you okay?” the brunet asks me, searching my face.

He always senses when there’s a turmoil inside of me.

“Yeah,” I reply, shaking my head. “I’m overthinking, as usual.”

“No one is here but us,” he says, placing his free hand on my cheek and caressing my skin. “But if you’re not comfortable, we can…”

“No, I’m fine,” I interrupt him, sitting down on the ground and leaning with my back against a tree. “Come here.”

The corners of Haru’s mouth turn upwards as he sits on my lap, straddling me. I flinch, because I didn’t expect him to be this bold – what I meant was that he should sit next to me, not on my lap – but when he moves his hips a little, I forget all about my fear of being caught.

I circle his waist with one arm, smiling as I look at him. “You won’t be able to see the fireworks like this.”

“I’ll see them in your eyes,” he replies casually, as if he didn’t just say some sappy, romantic thing.

My cheeks are on fire and he starts laughing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“Just shut up,” I murmur, then place a hand on the nape of his neck and pull him down for a kiss.

Haru moans in my mouth when I press him closer to me, so I slip my tongue between his lips, deepening the kiss. I grab the hem of his samue, pushing it off one shoulder as I kiss my way down his neck.

The brunet tilts his head to the side, whimpering when my teeth graze his skin. However, I don’t want to expose what we’ve done to other people, so instead of biting his neck, I move my mouth right underneath his collarbone.

I sink my teeth into his skin, bruising him. A loud moan escapes Haru’s lips, right as the fireworks begin.

I’m both glad and somehow disappointed that the fireworks have covered his moan.


	84. Ikuya's POV

I’m not stupid, I’m not a child and I’m not naive, but I didn’t expect my brother to bring Nao home. As his boyfriend. To introduce him to mom.

There’s something surreal as Asami and Nao shake hands and Natsuya explains to his boyfriend that she’s a figure skater.

Mom clicks her tongue, then slaps my brother across the back of his head. “Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing your boyfriend home?”

Nao raises his hands defensively. “I’m sorry if I imposed on you…”

“I would’ve cooked your favorite food, Nao – kun, if I knew you’d come,” she whines.

The gray haired man laughs, a bit embarrassed, then adjusts his glasses. “It’s fine, I like the same food as Natsuya,” he says, smiling in his usual kind way.

Mom pouts, then brings us a plate filled with avocato toasts. Asami squeals, clapping her hands happily. “Nana – san, you’re amazing!”

The brunette picks one of the toasts and I open my mouth, ready to tease her that she took the biggest one, but I don’t get to comment because she pushes the bread towards me. “Here.”

I blush, thinking about the mean comment I was about to say, then bite into the toast. I wince, because it’s a bit too sour for my taste and mom chuckles.

“Sorry, did I put too much lemon?”

“No, it’s perfect,” I assure her, taking the toast from Asami’s hand so she can eat some as well.

“Natsuya told me about your surgery, how are you feeling?” Nao asks me.

“I’m fine now,” I reply. “I’m off the meds already.”

I wonder if Natsuya has told his boyfriend about what really happened in Seoul, but I don’t ask. As far as I’m concerned, Ji Hoon has been dealt with, no use dwelling on the matter.

I can’t help but laugh when Asami and Natsuya reach for the same toast. She slaps his hand hard, then snatches the bread while my brother is too shocked to react.

“You slapped me,” he says stupidly.

“Impressive observation,” Asami deadpans, then bites into her avocado toast. 

I swing an arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer as I kiss her temple. “Don’t mess with her avocado toast, Nii – chan.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Asami, the bath is free if you want to…”

I stop in the door frame and throw a towel over my head as I look at her. Asami is staring out the window, with no expression on her face as she holds her phone tight.

“Is something wrong?” I ask, then walk towards her.

I wrap my arms around her, hugging her from behind and she relaxes into me. “It’s all about expectations and reality,” she says, sighing.

I tighten my arms around her and rest my chin atop her head. “Your parents?”

“Yeah, they’re not coming. It’s not like I miss them or anything, but Haru was really looking forward to this.”

I plant a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s okay to admit you miss them, you know?”

Asami places her hands on my forearms. “They’re not coming to Barcelona, either. My dad has to work.”

I turn her around and grab her shoulders. “I’ll be there, Asami. I’ll cheer for you louder than anyone.”

She smiles and stands on her toes, then places a kiss on my lips. “I love you.”

I pull her into my arms. “I love you, too, Asami.”

“Help me get dressed,” she says next, changing the subject.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Wow, Asami, you’re so pretty,” Hanabi exclaims, grabbing onto the sleeves of Asami’s kimono.

“You, too,” she replies chuckling. “Your kimono suits you well. I have to admit, I expected you to wear a hoodie.”

The earns Asami a pinch and Hiyori chuckles. “Oh, she had no choice. I forced her to wear the kimono.”

Hana sticks her tongue out and my best friend wraps an arm around her waist. “Is there something you’d like to eat?”

The brunette grins. “A piece of everything.”

Asami lets out a dramatic sigh. “Fuck you, too.”

I pat her head in sympathy, knowing that she can’t eat anything because of her diet. Well, she did eat a bite of grilled squid after the stunt Sayuri pulled on her, but it doesn’t count that much.

“Shall we go find a spot to watch the fireworks?” I suggest, grabbing her hand.

“Yes, I think I know a secluded one,” she replies, squeezing my fingers. 

“Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat?” I ask as we pass some food stores.

Asami shakes her head and sighs. “I can’t, I promised Ritsu. Thank you, though.”

“I didn’t know about this place,” I comment as she guides me through the trees. 

“Haru used to draw here when he was younger,” she explains when we reach some old looking stone steps. “I bet no one will be here.”

Just like she predicted, there’s no one in sight when we reach the top of the hill. The view is spectacular and I simply stand there for a while, holding her hand and taking in the breathtaking scenery.

I lift her hand and press my lips to her knuckles. Her sleeve slides down, revealing the cobra snake tattoo that adornes her left forearm.

I remember suddenly that she’s naked underneath her kimono. It’s a stupid thought, everyone is naked underneath their clothes for crying out loud! I swallow hard, trying to control myself, but I can’t get rid of that one thought. I’m doomed.

I wonder, what will she think of me if I push her against that tree and make love to her, right here? 

“Ikuya?” she calls, tugging on my hand. 

I clear my voice and open my mouth to offer some cheap excuse, but then I press my lips together. Who am I kidding, I want her. I want her so badly that I can’t remember to care that we’re in public.

I place my hands on her waist and slam her against the tree, just like I wanted.

“Ikuya, what are you…”

I cover her lips with mine, swallowing her words. I press my body against her, letting her feel how hard I already am because of her. 

Asami brushes her fingers through my hair, then settles her palm at the nape of my neck as she parts her lips, allowing me to tease her tongue with mine.

I kiss my way along her jaw as I slip a hand into her kimono, grabbing one of her breasts. Asami whimpers when I pinch her nipple, squeezing it between my thumb and forefinger.

“Ikuya, I’m cold,” she murmurs, her voice breaking when I lick the side of her neck. 

“Hold on to me,” I instruct her as I push her kimono away and grab onto her thigh.

She’s shivering as she wraps one leg around me, moaning softly as I start to rub my erection against her. 

“Fuck, you’re so sexy,” I murmur into her ear, enjoying the small erotic sounds that she makes when I pull her earlobe between my lips and press my teeth on it gently.

I push her against the tree trunk, lifting her as she wraps both legs around my waist. A loud yell escapes her lips, her whole body tense as I thrust into her hard, sheathing myself in one swift motion.

A second later, the fireworks show starts.

“I love your voice,” I say as I begin to move. “Good thing that the fireworks didn’t hide it.”

Asami wraps her arms tight around my neck, moaning as I pick up the pace. She presses a hand to the back of my head, pulling me down for a kiss and that’s when I notice the hint of tears in her eyes. I didn’t let her adjust when I pushed into her, but I can’t stop now.

I groan as she bites my bottom lip hard and squeeze her hips. My fingers sink into her soft flesh and the thought that I’ll get to see bruises there makes me thrust into her even faster.

“Ikuya, harder, please,” she begs, her whole body tensing.

I oblige and she yells out my name again, muttering “Please,” over and over as my rhythm falters. I thrust into her harder and faster as I feel her tightening around me.

Asami drops her head on my shoulder, abandoning herself into my arms as she comes, shuddering when I find my release as well.

I kneel on the ground, with her still in my arms, panting as I bury my face in the crook of her neck.

“Nice fireworks,” she comments.

I start laughing, then kiss the side of her neck. “Did I hurt you?”

Asami smiles as she shakes her head. “No, you just took me by surprise in the beginning. I’m not complaining, though.”

“Someone might have walked in on us,” I mutter as reason kicks back in.

“Well, if they did, it was pretty fucking obvious what we were doing, so they just let us be,” she replies calmly. “Don’t worry,” she adds, waving her hand and chuckling. “Ah, look! Another round of fireworks!” she exclaims, beaming.

I turn around, smiling as well at the spectacle of lights that sets the sky on fire. I change our position, pulling Asami on my lap as I lean with my back against the tree. I tighten my arms around her as we watch the fireworks together and I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive.


	85. Asami's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short, uneventful chapter, but I needed one to signal that I'm done with the fluff and smut and that I'm finally starting the Barcelona part. If you have ideas or stuff that you want to happen at the Grand Prix Final or during the swimming competition, please write them in the comments <3

“See you in two weeks,” I tell Ikuya and he tightens his arms around me.

I kiss him again on the lips, before we part, then I swing my backpack over one shoulder and follow Ritsu towards the check – in office.

I stifle a yawn as we make our way to the gate and Ritsu explains my new schedule for when we arrive in Barcelona. 

“Pay attention,” he lectures me.

“I am, I’m just tired,” I reply, rolling my eyes.

“Well this might interest you,” he says. “I’ve booked you and your brother for a photo shoot in Barcelona.”

I perk up. “Oh? Does he know about this?”

“Not yet, but his coach does,” Ritsu replies, chuckling. “You’re going to like this one, but I won’t disclose anything. It’s a surprise.”

I groan. “I wanna know!”

“My lips are sealed,” he says. “Do you want me to go buy you something to eat or drink?”

I shake my head. “I’m good for now.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Asami, so good to see you,” Victor says as he picks me up and spins me around. 

“How have you been?” I ask, planting a kiss on his cheek, before I move to hug Yuri.

“We’re fine, we’re just training like it’s the end of the world,” the brunet replies, laughing. “Yurio is going crazy.”

“No, I’m not,” the blond barks, rolling his eyes as he accepts a hug from me. “Okay, enough,” he growls, pushing me away after exactly three seconds.

I sigh, then sit on a bench so I can put my skates on. “I thought Beka would be here.” And keep his feral cat under control.

“His coach didn’t think it would be such a good idea to come to Barcelona early,” Yuri explains.

I grin. “That means he’s got something new on his choreo.”

Yura scoffs. “I don’t give a shit. I’ll take gold again this year.”

Victor’s eyes become cold as he stares at him, but the blond doesn’t flinch. 

Ritsu claps his hands. “Asami, stop wasting time and get on the ice. You’re not leaving until you drop dead.”

“That’s a good way of putting it,” Yakov comments.

“He didn’t mean it literally,” I murmur as I begin to slide towards the middle of the rink.

“Just to get you back into shape, after the exhausting flights, I want you to make up a choreo on the spot,” he tells me as he pulls out his phone.

What the actual fuck, I mutter to myself, but I don’t comment on his coaching skills. I wave at the boys, then start to warm up as soon as they leave. Their day of training is over and me and Ritsu have just landed two hours ago, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to practice.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re doing it wrong,” Ritsu tells me for the third time today.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “Are you sure it’s not just your anxiety speaking? I’m skating like I’ve always done.”

“That’s the problem, I need more. We’ve been here for three days and I see no improvement, Asami,” he says, looking at me with cold eyes. “I want to be impressed.”

The need to curse him is overwhelming.

“Alright, I’ll do it again,” I reply instead, as I skate towards the center of the rink again. 

I take my starting position and Ritsu plays the music for my free skate. However, he stops it abruptly not even ten seconds in.

“That looks rough,” he comments and I press my lips together. “Try it like this,” he instructs, raising his arms and elegantly moving them.

I want to point out that I’ve done the exact same movements, but I bite my tongue and let him lecture me. He always gets like this before the Grand Prix Final, even more this season because I want to make the Olympic team and make history with the first ever quad Axel landed in competition.

Instead of arguing with him, I simply take a deep breath, count to ten and signal for him that I’m ready to start over.

He doesn’t stop the music this time, but when I reach the part when I’m supposed to jump the quad Axel, I mess up and don’t land it properly, because I trip over my own feet. I expect Ritsu to stop the music and lecture me, but he doesn’t do that, so I continue the program. I pretend I’m at the actual competition right now, that I’ve messed up and that I need to fix the choreo so that I still take gold.

The program is almost over and I know I have a very slim chance, but I still tighten my core and jump the quad Axel. To my surprise, I manage to land it, but as soon as I do, all the adrenaline leaves my body. I barely have enough energy to finish my free skate, before I let myself drop on my back on the ice.

I close my eyes, enjoying the cold burn of the ice on my sore muscles and don’t open them until I hear Ritsu stop beside me.

“Does this count as dropping dead?” I ask, chuckling.

“Well, you can still laugh, so no,” he replies and I groan. “Take a break and then show me the short program.”

“I can’t skate anymore,” I admit, getting up in a sitting position. “No, really. I’m done for the day, Ritsu.”

I look up at him, expecting a cold gaze, but instead, I find him smiling at me.

“You’re finally learning to listen to your body,” he says, offering me a hand and helping me up.

It suddenly dawns on me. “I wasn’t making any mistakes.”

He shrugs. “I have to admit, the faith you have in me is touching.”

I pull my fist back, ready to punch him in the face, but he grabs me wrist and turns me around, slamming my back against his chest. “Easy, Asami. It was just a test. You passed, eventually. Aren’t you happy?”

I sigh, then slump into his arms. “Carry me and I’ll forgive you.”

Ritsu snorts, then kneels on the ice. “Get on before I change my mind.”

I squeal, then get on his back. “Piggy back ride!” I yell, throwing my fist into the air.

“You’re the pig,” my coach mutters under his breath.


	86. Haru's POV

I resurface and grab onto the lane rope, trying to catch my breath. I feel exhausted after training since morning, but I still have some energy left for a free race with Rin. 

I open my mouth to call him into the water, when I see him sitting cross legged near the edge of the pool, with a frown on his face as he checks something on his phone.

I sigh and grab onto the edge of the pool, then gently place a palm on his knee. “Rin.”

He flinches and looks at me, then closes his phone. “What is it, Haru?” 

His voice sounds so tired that I simply shake my head and remove my hand, then dive back into the water.

He doesn’t follow me into the pool. Instead, he gets up and without turning to face me, he says “I’m calling it a day.”

“Let’s have a 100 m free race,” I suggest.

“No, I’m tired, I’m not in the mood for a loss,” he retorts, his voice a bit harsh as he starts walking away.

“You’re so selfish, Rin,” I murmur, knowing that he can’t hear me anymore. “Those comments affect me, too.”

Ever since the official list of swimmers has been uploaded on the official site of the competition in Barcelona, me and Rin have started received hateful and homophobic comments on our Instagram pages. Rin has been acting like it only affects him, which hurts worse than the words of anonymous people.

I swim some more, but at a leisure pace, trying to clear my mind.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I ordered some food for us,” Rin informs me as soon as I’m out of the bathroom.

I shake the water out of my head and run my fingers through it, pushing a few strands away from my forehead.

“Sounds good,” I reply as I walk past him.

Rin wraps both arms around me, pulling me down on the couch with him. I land with a gasp, because I wasn’t expecting it, and the towel around my hips slides off. I thought that I’ll retreat to our bedroom after my shower and fall asleep alone, just like I’ve been doing for the past few days.

“I actually wanted to have that race with you,” Rin murmurs as he buries his face in the crook of my neck.

I relax into his arms, closing my eyes. I’ve been craving his touch for days.

“Then you should’ve said so,” I reply, sighing. “Do you want to go now?” I offer.

Instead of answering, the crimson haired man changes our position suddenly, then pulls me underneath him and makes space for his body between my legs.

“I have another idea,” he says, grinning in a mischievous way.

“No, Rin, we have to be at the pool tomorrow at 6 am…”

My voice breaks he traces his tongue along my collarbones and sinks his teeth in my skin.

“Rin, no marks,” I whimper, running a hand through his hair and gripping it. “You’re already upset about the comments online, let’s not…”

He cuts me off by slamming his lips against mine, kissing me roughly as he tilts my head back. 

The kiss is over just as suddenly as it began. Rin places both hands on the sides of my face and rests his forehead against mine.

“I’ve been thinking about something, but promise me you won’t get mad first.”

I raise an eyebrow questioningly and Rin sighs.

“Promise me, Haru.”

“Okay,” I whisper and he kisses me gently on the lips.

“I think I should move out.”

My heart skips a beat and I feel like I can’t breathe. However, my shock lasts only a few seconds, then anger kicks in. Without saying anything, I push him off and get up, then pick my towel and wrap it around my hips. 

“Haru, wait!” Rin yells after me, but I’ve already slammed the bedroom door behind me.

I curl on the bed and pull the blanket over my head, as if I could hide form my problems just like that. I hold my breath, paying attention to the sounds, because I expect Rin to burst into the bedroom and at least yell at me for being dramatic.

I sigh and close my eyes. I feel relieved that he decided to let me cool off by myself, but at the same time, disappointed and abandoned.

I don’t know how long it’s been until I hear the bedroom door open. I’ve started to drift off, exhausted by the constant training and the frustrated tears that just won’t stop.

My body tenses, because I want to yell at him and apologize at the same time, but all I can do is stay here, hidden under the blanket.

The mattress dips when he sits on the edge of the bed and I feel a new wave of tears filling my eyes. 

I feel him lie down next to me and I know we’d be facing each other right now if it weren’t for the blanket covering me. It feels like an hour until he eventually grabs the blanket and pulls it off, uncovering my head.

I look away, trying my best to avoid his gaze, because I don’t want to him to sweep me away with his mesmerizing eyes.

“You promised not to get mad,” he says, caressing my cheek with his palm. 

I close one eye as he wipes the tears away with his thumb.

“I’m not mad,” I reply. “I’m sad, Rin. I’m just sad.”

“I know I should’ve found a better way of telling you that,” he mutters and sighs. “What I meant is that I should move out until we come back from Barcelona. Us living together after admitting in Seoul that we’re dating is too much for other people.”

“I don’t care about other people.”

“Not everyone has the luxury of being you,” Rin retorts, his voice cold. “We’re not all geniuses that have no regard for the real world, Haru.”

“Are you trying your best to be annoying right now, make sure that by the end of our conversation I’ll tell you to leave my apartment?” I deadpan, finally staring into his eyes.

“You’re so cruel, Haru,” he mumbles, rolling his eyes.

“Why am I cruel? Because I bury my feelings in order to make room for yours?” I ask. “No, forget it, I’m not having this conversation. Do what you want, Rin.”

“It’s just a temporary solution,” he says, gripping my forearm as I try to get up. “We’re leaving in a weak anyways, so we simply get separate hotel rooms in Barcelona. After that, I’ll simply move back here.”

“After Barcelona comes Australia!” I yell at the top of my lungs. “And then another competition and another and another. In two years from now, we’ll be swimming in order to make the Olympic Team.”

Rin flinches and looks away.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice quiet. “That was unnecessary. I’ll do whatever you want, Rin,” I add, shaking my head. 

Just don’t leave me, I almost say. I can’t bear to lose you.

“You’re right,” he tells me, finally looking back at me. “I’m sorry for giving in to pressure. I shouldn’t vent out my frustration on you. It’s just that you look so strong and unaffected all the time, Haru.”

“Do whatever you want,” I repeat, wiping at my eyes. 

“I won’t move out now, but let’s take separate rooms in Barcelona,” he says, searching my face.

I should say no. I should tell him how much it bothers me. I need his comfort, too. 

“Of course, Rin.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Wow, that’s messed up,” Kaede says as he stretches his arms above his head.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” I admit, warming up as well. 

He chuckles. “I’m always down to comfort you,” he replies, wiggling his eyebrows.

I roll my eyes. “Forget I said anything.”

“Okay, okay, don’t get mad.” Kaede clears his voice. “Your problem is that you accept too much, Haru. Just tell him you’re uncomfortable with this! Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you asked me to be your roommate once again, but if you really want to share a room with him, tell him. People will roast your relationship until another juicy scandal pops up.”

I shrug. “I don’t know…”

“Where is he, by the way?”

“He’s training exclusively with his coach until we go to Barcelona,” I reply, adjusting my swim cap. “Azuma wants is to do the same starting tomorrow.”

Kaede steps onto the starting block and puts his goggles on. “I have an idea. Let’s go out tonight.”

“Why?”

He snorts. “Why do you think, smartass? See his reaction when you get home late without informing him about your plans.”

The coach from Naribusawa Uni yells “Take your marks!”, so we all take our position on the starting blocks, getting ready for the 100 m free training race.

“I’ll think about it,” I say, right before we hear the whistle.

I dive, letting the cool water easy my mind. I’m faster with every stroke, but I don’t think about it too much. I don’t pay attention to the race itself, I just enjoy myself in the water, testing myself to see how fast I can actually get.

The race is over before I even realize it and I slap the wall, then I resurface and take a deep breath.

“Congratulations on your second place,” Kaede teases as he grins at me. “You should let the professionals swim the 100 m free.”

“I’ll simply embarrass you in the 50 m free, don’t fret.”

“Prick,” the orange haired man bites out as he pulls himself out of the water.

“Asshole,” I reply calmly, letting him help me out of the pool.

“I’ll take the gold medal in the 50 m free in Barcelona,” Kaede threatens me.

“You can try,” I say, smiling. “It’s more entertaining this way.”

He bumps his shoulder into mine. “So, are you going out with me tonight?”

“Fine,” I relent.

We step on the starting blocks again and wait for the signal.


	87. Ikuya's POV

Hiyori wraps an arm around my waist, keeping me upright. “Are you okay?”

I press a hand to my right side and close my eyes. “Yes, give me a minute.”

“Maybe you should sit this one out,” he suggests, helping me walk towards the wall. 

I sigh, then lean with my back against the wall, trying to regain my breath. “I think you’re right, I’ll swim the next race.”

Hiyori remains quiet, then he places a hand on my shoulder. “I mean about the competition in Barcelona. Maybe you should focus on healing for now and wait for Australia.”

I slap his hand away and his eyes widen in shock.

“What are you implying, Hiyori? That I’m weak?” I bite out in anger.

“No, don’t get so mad at me,” he replies, his voice annoyingly calm. “I hate seeing you in pain, that’s all.”

“Well, get used to it,” I retort.

“What does Asami think about this?” he inquires and it angers me even more.

“I don’t know,” I snap. “My girlfriend trains hard as well, we barely have time to talk these days. I didn’t quite have time to ask for her opinion, you know?”

Hiyori frowns. “You said you’re okay with me moving in with Hana.”

“What does that have to do with what we were talking about?”

My best friend shakes his head. “I’m going back there. Just take it easy, okay? Let me know if I can help you with anything.”

I clench my fists hard and look away. I feel like I’m in elementary school again and I’m all alone. Everyone is busy with training, just like I am, but I hate that at the end of each day, I have to stay cooped up in that room by myself. 

The eight hour time zone difference doesn’t help either. Asami is usually exhausted during our video calls, because it’s the end of her day, whereas I’m always in a hurry because I have to start mine.

I miss her so damn much. I didn’t even realize how dependent I was of her. People tease me that my girlfriend is obsessed with me, but I think that it’s actually the other way around.

I place a palm on the wall, pushing myself upright, then I take a deep breath. Fatigue and pain won’t stop me from reaching my full potential.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Isn’t it too early for you, Ikuya?” Asami asks me, stifling a yawn.

“It’s fine, I want to go on a morning run,” I tell her.

“Oh? Are you taking me running with you?” she teases and I laugh.

“Yup,” I reply, putting my earbuds in. “How is your ankle? Still hurting?”

“Nope. I’m training like a lunatic, so it’s pure luck. How about your injury?”

“I’m swimming like I used to,” I lie, then put on my running shoes. “The IM gold medal is mine.”

“I can’t wait to watch you swim,” Asami says and I can feel the smile in her voice. “I’ll be stress free by then.”

I leave my dorm room, pausing our conversation while I use the elevator.

“I didn’t realize you were stressed, love. Aren’t you the ice prodigy right now?”

She chuckles. “Yes, yes, keep going. I love compliments.”

“No, but seriously.”

“I am rightfully stressed, Ikuya! I’m about to pull a stunt with that quad Axel right when I should be focusing on points so I can make the Olympic Team. What if I fail because of that?”

I start with a light jog through the campus grounds and remain quiet. I’m raking my brain, trying to come up with something that will make her feel better.

“If you dare to say that everything will be okay, I’m taking the first flight to Tokyo just so I can punch you in the face,” she informs me, with a very serious voice.

“Don’t make me laugh,” I reply. “I’ll run out of air at the beginning of my run.”

“I didn’t realize I was making a joke,” she says, but she’s laughing already. “Ah, I forgot to ask you, do you want to stay with me and Ritsu in Barcelona or did you already make plans with Hiyori?”

I’m silent for way too long and she notices that something is wrong.

“Did you guys get into a fight?” she asks softly.

“No, not really. He just mentioned very casually that I shouldn’t take part in the Barcelona competition and wait for Australia, so I’ll be completely healed.”

Asami snorts. “Ah, you yelled at him.”

“I didn’t yell at him!” I protest.

“And now you feel guilty,” she continues, as if I didn’t say anything. “Just go hang out with him and Hana tonight, you’ll feel better.”

“I don’t know if I should do that, Asami. We’re both training hard everyday, we need to rest as much as we can after that.”

“Okay, you know better,” she relents.

“Do you want to go to sleep?” I ask.

“I can last longer than this.”

I groan. “Asami…”

She cackles. “What?”

“Go to sleep.”

“Yes, sir.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I can do it. He’s my best friend, for fuck’s sake. What if I bother him, though? Then he’ll tell me he’s got other plans and that’s it, no hard feelings.

He looked exhausted during practice today. He was out of it, to be honest. Maybe he just wants to go home and sleep. I don’t want to be a nuisance.

I can always ask someone else to hang out with me. Maybe Haru…no, I’m sure he’d rather spend time with Rin. Hm, Asahi? No, he said he’s got a date tonight. Kaede? I could ask him.

I shake my head, then throw the towel over my shoulders. I start making my way towards Hiyori and right when I’m next to him, his phone starts ringing and he picks up.

“Yes? Ah, okay, sure, I’ll buy it on my way home. Okay, bye.”

Hiyori turns around right then and flinches. “Ah, Ikuya, I didn’t know you were here,” he says, placing a hand on his chest. “You frightened me.”

“Sorry,” I mumble, looking away.

“Do you have plans tonight?” he asks me, smiling.

I look up, surprised. “Sleeping.”

“Ah, yes, you must be tired after training so hard all day,” he immediately tells me.

“Why are you asking?”

“It’s just that I was in the mood for onigiri tonight and I know you like them, too, so…But it’s fine, you don’t have to come,” he explains, picking up his backpack. “See you tomorrow, Ikuya.”

“If you’re going to invite me, do it properly,” I mutter, looking down.

But he’s already gone.

Kaede elbows me in the side. “Trouble in paradise?”

I squint my eyes at him. “What?”

The orange haired man simply stares at me for a while. “Haru and I are going out for a run tonight. Do you want to come with us?”

“Without Rin?” I inquire, noticing that Kaede didn’t mention him.

“Just me and him. There’s something going on with them and Haru doesn’t like to go home until it’s late enough, whatever that means.”

My eyebrows shot up. Rin and Haru are fighting? I had no idea.

“So, do you want to come?”

I’ve already run this morning and I don’t feel like it at all, but I end up agreeing.


	88. Asami's POV

“Shouldn’t you be training?”

Elizabeth chuckles, then leans back into her chair. “What, you can’t even have coffee with me? At a public coffee shop?”

I rest my chin onto my hand and stare at her. “I like to have my coffee in peace.”

“How’s Ikuya? I was so worried about him when I heard about his surgery,” Tatiana intervenes.

I snort. “Yes, I bet you were. How long did that brain of yours manage to hold onto the information? Three seconds, like goldfish?”

The Russian girl pouts. “Asami, you meanie. It was scientifically proven that goldfish remember things for longer than three seconds, that’s just a myth.”

I hum, unimpressed. “So, what is it that you need from me? I’m in a hurry.”

“We just want to spend time with you, we’re all in this together,” Elizabeth says. “I’m sure you’re stressed about the Grand Prix Final, just like we are.”

I start laughing. “I’m not stressed, thank you for your concern.”

“You look awfully confident, Hebi – chan,” she teases me, smiling.

“I’m neither stressed, nor confident,” I retort, then finish my coffee and get up. “Have a good day.”

I turn around, with the intention to leave, but I suddenly slam into a hard, muscled chest. The guy wraps an arm around me, trying to help steady me and I look up. He looks familiar, but for the life of me, I can’t remember who he is.

“Emil, you made it!” Tatiana squeals.

Aha, Emil. 

Who the fuck is Emil?

The blond smiles at Tatiana and now that I look at them both, I see some resemblance.

“Emil, so good to see you!” Elizabeth exclaims, getting up so she can hug him. “This is our friend, Asami.”

I snort and open my mouth to contradict her, when the blond Russian guy wraps both arms around me in a tight hug.

“We met in Sankt Petersburg, at the gym, but it’s a pleasure to meet you again,” he says.

I clear my voice, then take a step back. “Easy with the hugs, I don’t like people touching me out of the blue.”

Tatiana and Elizabeth look at each other and burst out laughing, making me roll my eyes.

“Tatia, be nice,” Emil lectures her with a frown. “Stop acting like a dumb bitch.”

I would lie if I said I didn’t enjoy that. I mean, he technically spoke the truth, she really is a dumb bitch.

“Ugh, brother, leave me alone, ” Tatiana comments, pouting.

I knew there was some resemblance between them! This explains why a Russian guy I met at the gym in Sankt Petersburg is now in Barcelona. He’s here to support his sister. 

Well, at least she’s got someone to comfort her when she loses.

~~~~~~~~~~

The tension leaves my body when I land the quad Axel perfectly. I have good days and bad days, but I just need to land it once in competition. I’ll manage, I’m sure of it.

“Asami, your costume for the exhibition skate is ready,” Ritsu informs me as he checks his phone. “Can you go pick it up after practice?”

I grab onto the wall surrounding the rink and stretch one of my legs up. “Sure, do you have a date tonight?”

He scoffs. “No, stop assuming I always abandon you to go fuck someone.”

“I wouldn’t say abandon me, let’s not be dramatic,” I reply, chuckling. “Remember that time when I crashed you date and cried my eyes out and called you dad?”

“Please don’t remind me,” he groans. “How’s your ankle?” he asks, abruptly changing the subject.

“It doesn’t hurt when I land my jumps, it’s fine now,” I reply and he smiles.

“Good, the stress was killing me. I’m too young to look good with gray hairs.”

I snort. “When were you ever stressed?”

Ritsu flicks my nose and I laugh as I start skating again.

~~~~~~~~~~

The designer, a middle aged woman welcomes me into the shop and guides me to the changing rooms. There’s another figure skate here, according to her, but I don’t mind.

“Hm, she was supposed to be here. Anyways, take a seat, I’ll bring you your costume,” the woman tells me in a heavily accented English and I nod.

I sit on a chair and take my phone out, surprised to see a picture of Ikuya, Kaede and Haru in running gear, posted on my boyfriend’s Instagram. I begin to type a message to him, since I’m curious why neither Rin, nor Hiyori are in the picture, when the door opens and a very beautiful blonde girl walks in.

I know her, she’s Evgenia, a sixteen year old Russian figure skater. It’s her first Grand Prix Final, but judging from her performances until now, she’s more talented than Tatiana.

Her smile is a bit shy as she notices me and I say “Hello,” before I look down at my phone again. I finish typing the message and press send, then start to aimlessly scroll through Instagram as I wait for the woman to bring me my costume.

A sudden scream frightens me and I drop my phone. My head snaps in Evgenia’s direction, who’s on the floor, on her knees, crying hysterically as she holds her costume. She’s yelling something in Russian, but she’s bawling her eyes out at the same time, so I can’t understand her.

The door slams open and the designer appears, accompanied by Elizabeth and Tatiana. I squint my eyes at them, resisting the urge to swear.

“What happened?” Elizabeth asks, widening her eyes. “Asami, what did you do to the poor girl?”

“What kind of question is that?” I inquire, rolling my eyes. “I’m here to get my costume.”

Tatiana kneels next to the girl and starts patting her back. “What happened, Genia?”

“My costume,” the blonde girl replies between sobs. “It’s has cuts all over it.”

Tatiana wraps both arms around Evgenia, comforting her while she throws daggers at me. “How could you do something like this, Asami? It’s her first Grand Prix Final.”

“What? I didn’t do anything, how can you accuse me like this?”

“The costume was alright when I brought it here,” the designer says.

“I had no idea you were capable of something like this,” Elizabeth intervenes, shaking her head. “You’ve ruined Evgenia’s experience. What could you possibly gain from this?”

“I’m not doing this,” I snap. “I didn’t do anything to her costume,” I repeat.

“You were the only one here,” Evgenia yells at me. “What did I ever do to you?”

“This is getting ridiculous,” I mutter, then turn to the designer. “Give me my costume. My coach has already handled the payment.”

The woman’s lips are pursed as she gives me a dirty look, but she hands me the costume.

“Next time, stay in your own country if you don’t know how to behave,” she tells me.

I almost flash her the middle finger, but I stop myself in the nick of time. I leave the changing room, slamming the door after me, then I stomp my way out of the shop. On my way out, I slam into a hard, muscled chest and almost fall on the pavement.

Strong arms wrap around me, saving me from cracking my head open. The guy gently keeps me upright, without removing his hands when it’s clear that I’m stable.

“This is the third time you’re falling for me,” Emil jokes.

I snort. “I should’ve known you’d be here. Tatiana and Elizabeth are inside.”

“Yes, Tatia asked me to accompany them. Is everything alright? You look troubled,” he comments, casually brushing his fingers through my hair.

I push his hand away, then take a step back. “It’s nothing I’m not used to, when it comes to those two.”

Emil shakes his head. “I’ll talk to my sister and convince her to leave you alone. I don’t know what’s Elizabeth’s deal, but Tatia is not like her. Before meeting that American bitch, my sister was so nice…”

I highly doubt that, but I’m not going to say it out loud. 

“Well, then, have a good day,” I say, turning on my heels to leave.

“Wait,” Emil says, grabbing my arm. “Are you hungry? We could go grab something to eat, I know a very good restaurant that has the best…”

“Look, no offense, but I have a boyfriend,” I cut him off. 

“I’m not asking you out on a date, I was just suggesting we should go eat,” he retorts, smiling as he looks right into my eyes.

“I don’t know what Tatiana and Elizabeth told you about me, but I’m not like that anymore,” I say, on a serious tone.

“There’s no need to be so guarded around me,” Emil tells me, shrugging. “I have a girlfriend and I love her with all my heart, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have friends.”

I take out my phone, but Emil covers it with his palm. “Don’t tell me that you’re going to ask your boyfriend for permission to go out with me. You didn’t strike me as the submissive type. Is he your master or something?”

I purse my lips, snatching my phone away. “Don’t touch me or my things, Emil.”

He raises his hands, still smiling, like the player he is. “It’s just a meal.”

“If I say yes, will you leave me alone?” I ask him, knowing I should better leave.

“I promise. If you never want to see me again after this, I’ll respect your wish.”

“Okay, then,” I relent, sighing. “Lead the way, Emil.”

Maybe I’ll make him spill some secrets about his sister, so I can have some dirt on her.


	89. Hiyori's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advance =)) smut ahead! I simply couldn't take that idea out of my head =))

“You’ve been staring at your phone for the past five minutes.”

I raise my head and look at Hana, who’s got a sympathetic smile on her face. I sigh, then close my phone and place it on the desk.

I love when our shifts coincide. Especially when we have to work late at night and there’s very few people in the library.

“What were you looking at?” she insists, running her fingers through my hair.

“I was just aimlessly scrolling through Instagram,” I lie. “I’m just a little bored,” I add, as a spicy idea pops into my head. “We should really organize the Young Adult section, you know?”

Hana groans. “It’s almost 11 pm, Hiyori…why do you want to work now?”

“Come help me,” I insists, grabbing her hand.

“Okay,” she relents, rolling her eyes. “You and your sudden outbursts of energy at your workplace.”

We pass a corner and walk to the back of the library, where that specific section is. I like it not because of the books, but due to the fact that it offers some kind of privacy. 

Hanabi approaches the shelves and inspects them carefully. “Hm, they look okay to me.” She turns to look at me. “Are you sure we need to…”

I cover her lips with mine, pressing her with her back against the shelves. Hana gasps, parting her lips and I slip my tongue into her mouth, teasing her.

“Hiyori,” she whispers when I kiss my way down her neck. “What if someone walks in on us?”

“It’s the Young Adult section,” I point out, slipping a hand underneath her T shirt and gabbing one of her breasts. “It’s late at night.”

She tilts her head back, whimpering softly when I brush my thumb over her nipple. “You know, I still go to the library late at night if my book ends in a cliffhanger and the sequel is already out and…”

“No more talking,” I whisper into her ear as I push a hand underneath her skirt. “I want to rip off your clothes,” I murmur, then pull her earlobe between my teeth and bite on it. 

Hana whimpers as I lick the shell of her ear, then lets out a loud, shameless moan when I slip my fingers into her panties.

“So loud,” I comment, smiling. “You want to be caught, don’t you?”

“No, Hiyori, stop,” she mutters, burying her face in the crook of my neck to muffle her moans when I push one fingers inside of her. “I want more,” she says next, her body tensing.

I slip a hand between out bodies, quickly unbuckling my belt, then I grab one of her legs and guide it around my waist. “Hold on to me, love.”

Hanabi places her hands on my shoulders, allowing me to lift her into my arms. The brunette immediately wraps her legs around me, gasping when I rub my erection against her, through the sheer silk of her panties.

“Aren’t you glad you decided to wear a skirt today?” I tease her.

“I hate you,” she declares, grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling on it.

Her voice is quiet, but her body is shaking as I enter her in one swift motion. She can barely suppress her moans when I begin to move and I groan, crazy about how tight she feels around me.

“Excuse me? Is someone here?” we suddenly hear.

Hanabi slaps a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. 

“Shh, don’t make a sound,” I whisper into her ear, without stopping.

I keep thrusting into her, harder and harder, faster and faster, half anxious that we’ll get caught, half excited about that possibility. The voice we heard sounded pretty faint, so it came from the other side of the library.

Hanabi tightens around me almost painfully after a particular hard thrust, her whimper muffled by her own hand. My rhythm falters and I start thrusting even harder than before, chasing my own release. 

I bury my face in the crook of her neck, muffling my own moans of pleasure when I reach my climax. Her body is still shuddering with her orgasm and a soft, but audible moan escapes her lips.

“I heard someone in the back,” we hear again, so I quickly let her out of my arms.

Hanabi crouches on the floor, pretending to arrange the books on the lowest shelf, while I’m struggling to pull my pants back up.

My belt is still unbuckled when two students find us in the Young Adult section.

“Excuse me, can you help me with a book?” one of them asks.

“Yes, of course, give me the title and the author and I’ll bring it to you at the desk in a few minutes,” I reply, barely containing my laughter.

The two students thank me and turn around to leave. As soon as they’re gone from sigh, Hanabi gets up and smacks me in the back of my head.

“That was so stupid and so hot and I hate you and I never thought you were such a pervert and I think I fell in love with you again and also…fuck you, Hiyori!” she tells me, talking faster than I thought it was possible.

I chuckle, then lower my head and give her a short peck on the lips. “Gladly. Now or when we get home?”

I can’t stop my laughter when she lets out an exasperated groan.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You did what?” Ikuya yells at me.

I wince and raise my hands. “Calm down. It had to happen, because of my new work schedule…”

My best friend shakes his head and looks at me in disbelief. “I can’t believe that you found yourself a new coach, Hiyori.”

“Why is it such a big deal for you?” I ask, trying to keep calm, even though Ikuya is annoying me to no end right now.

“Because we’ve always trained together and…”

“I’ll swim here tomorrow as well,” I cut him off. “Then I’ll start training exclusively with the coach and I get that we won’t be seeing each other as much, Ikuya, but we’ll hang out together when we both have time, no need to be such a baby about this situation.”

Ikuya presses his lips together. “Indeed, I’m not an adult, like you. I didn’t move in with my girlfriend and I don’t have a job.”

“I didn’t say that, Ikuya,” I reply, sighing. “I apologize if I offended you, but you have to understand my situation. I couldn’t have let Hana deal with her problems alone, now, could I?”

The teal haired man doesn’t reply anything, he just steps onto the starting block and dives into the pool. 

“Don’t just stand there, staring at me,” I growl at Kaede. “The practice is over.”

“We always stay here longer when we don’t go for a run,” Haru intervenes. “That reminds me, why don’t you run with us?”

“Because I wasn’t invited,” I retort, my voice harsh. “I found out you guys were going for evening runs when I saw Ikuya’s photo on his Instagram page.”

Kaede raises an eyebrow. “Ikuya said you were too busy to come with us.”

“Well, that particular night, I was working a late night shift with Hanabi,” I say, thinking about the Young Adult section. “We had to organize some shelves and stuff.”

Haru shrugs with one shoulder, then steps onto a starting block and starts adjusting his swim cap and goggles.

“What about Rin?” I inquire, right as Ikuya emerges out of the water.

Haru flinches and Ikuya grits his teeth. “Don’t pry into people’s lives, Hiyori. Mind your own business.”

My eyes widen. “What’s your problem with me, Ikuya?”

“Enough, you two,” Kaede intervenes, placing a hand on my shoulder. “How about now? Let’s get out of here and go running tonight.”

“Yes, I can go tonight,” I reply, smiling.

“Well, I can’t,” Ikuya mutters as he pulls himself out of the pool. “See you guys tomorrow,” he adds, not even sparing me a glance.

~~~~~~~~~~

I wasn’t as naïve as to think that Ikuya will reply to my text messages of phone calls, but I still messaged him.

_Why are you so angry with me?_

I run my fingers through Sushi’s soft fur, enjoying her purrs as she curls on my abdomen.

_Do you want to come over? We can talk about whatever is bothering you._

Still no reply. I almost call Asami and ask her about Ikuya, but then I remember that it’s probably noon in Barcelona right now, so she’s definitely training. 

I get up from the sofa, holding Sushi with one arm as I start making my way to the closet on the hallway.

“Where are you going?” Hanabi asks me, popping her head out from the kitchen.

“To Ikuya’s dorm room, he was angry with me today for some reason,” I reply, taking out my jacket.

“You should let him cool off,” she suggests, walking over to me. “Are you sure he was angry at you specifically? Maybe he’s stressed about something and just lashed out at you.”

I hesitate. “I don’t really know…”

“Trust me, he’ll be acting normal in no time, just give him space. Can you come help me cook dinner? That cookbook is so fucking confusing,” she asks, pulling me by the hand towards the kitchen before I can even respond.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, Hiyori, I can hook you up with a dealer if you’d like,” someone teases me right as I step onto the starting block.

“I don’t need it,” I reply dryly, then put my goggles on.

“Not now, but you’ll definitely need it in Barcelona,” another says, laughing.

His laughter is cut short when Ikuya grabs him by the nape of his neck and unceremoniously throws him into the pool.

“One more word on this subject and I’ll end you,” he tells the other swimmer, staring at him with cold eyes.

Ikuya walks past the swimmer, slamming their shoulders together, before he stands on the starting block next to mine.

I breath a sigh of relief, thinking that Hana was right, Ikuya might have been stressed about something and simply needed some time to cool off.

“Thanks, Ikuya, but they really don’t bother me,” I say, smiling at him.

The teal haired swimmer snort. “Don’t talk to me. I promised to protect you when I can, but don’t talk to me, Hiyori.”

I flinch, surprised. “Ikuya, what’s wrong with you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me. You’re simply imagining things,” he replies, diving into the water before I can say something back.

Even after our Uni’s coach ends the practice and the students leave, Ikuya is still swimming, IM after IM. I honestly don’t know how his body can withstand it.

After the last leg is over, Ikuya grabs onto the lane rope, struggling with short, painful intakes of breath as he tries to keep himself above the water.

I kneel on the egde of the pool and push my hand towards him. “Ikuya, grab onto my hand.”

He raises his head and looks at me with cold eyes, but I’m sick of this. I forcefully grab his forearm and pull him out of the water before he can complain.

“I’m fine on my own,” he snaps as he pulls him swim cap off. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

I shake my head, then get up. “Hana is working a late shift tonight and I’m free. Do you want to come over?”

He looks away, but I grab onto his chin and force him to look at me. “I asked you a question, Ikuya.”

His eyes widen in surprise and he stares me, without making a sound. His cheeks blush a little and he looks down, then mutters “Okay.”

We change in silence, then I call an Uber for us. Ikuya doesn’t say anything to me on our way to my new apartment and I leave him be.

I unlock the door and open it when we get there, clicking my tongue when Sushi immediately runs out.

Ikuya bends down and catches the cat right as she tries to walk past him, then pulls her up into his arms. “Hello, there, cutie,” he says, smiling. “Wow, she’s purring already!”

“That means she likes you,” I reply, inviting him inside. “Are you hungry?” I ask, dropping my backpack on the floor. “I can order some food for us.”

Ikuya sits on the sofa, with Sushi still in his arms as he gently pets her. “Hm, no, not really.”

I snort. “Then how about I make some onigiri?”

He snaps his head in my direction. “Are you mocking me?”

“Is that why you’re mad at me?” I inquire and a laugh escapes my lips.

I realize that I shouldn’t have laughed at him when Ikuya’s eyes darken. He gently places the cat on the sofa, then pets her head one more time.

“I think I’ll go home,” he mutters and starts walking towards the door.

“Ikuya, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that,” I say, with guilt nagging at me. 

I know how sensitive he really is, for fuck’s sake. 

He ignores me as he starts to put on his shoes and I approach him, ready to apologize again, when the door opens.

“I’m home,” Hana says as she walks in. “My shift ended early, lucky me…oh, Ikuya, hi!”

“Hello,” he tells her, getting up.

“Oh, are you leaving already?” she asks, then turns to look at me. “Hiyori, look what I found,” she exclaims, lifting a DVD case. “It’s the original The Ring movie, let’s watch it.”

“Hanabi, not now,” I mutter, then look in the direction of the door. “Ikuya…”

He’s already gone, the door closing almost soundlessly after him.


	90. Rin's POV

“It’s fucking midnight, Haru!”

The brunet stares at me with his cold, ocean blue eyes for a few seconds, then drops his backpack on the floor, right next to the sofa. Without saying anything, he turns on his heels and starts walking towards the bathroom.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” I yell after him, getting up from the sofa.

I yank on his arm, forcing him to turn around and face me. 

“Where have you been?” I demand. “I get it, you swim until late, you go on evening runs without me…but this is simply too much.”

He arches an eyebrow. “Aren’t you happy, Rin? I thought that’s what you wanted.”

My stomach turns into knots. “I said I’m sorry for caving in because of those comments…”

“Are you really sorry, though?” he questions me, his eyes so cold that it hurts to look at them.

“Yes,” I reply, squeezing his arm.

“Let me go,” he snaps. “Don’t touch me, Rin,” he insists as he tries to pull his arm free.

I forcefully wrap my arms around his waist and make him walk in the direction of the sofa. I push him on the velvet couch, pressing myself on top of him, caging him with my body.

“Why are you acting like this, Haru?” I ask him as I lower my head. “Are you tired of me?”

He tries to look away, but I grip his chin and force him to keep looking at me. “Answer the questions, Haru,” I continue, tracing his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. 

“Get off,” he demands, but there’s a soft edge to his voice.

It angers me to no end seeing him like this. I know he still wants me, I can see it in his eyes. He’ll accept me without complaining too much, but I’m not ready to give him what he wants.

I capture his bottom lip between my teeth, then press hard on the soft flesh. Haru whimpers, squeezing his eyes shut as he begins to thrash underneath me and I feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

“Rin, please,” Haru whimpers, thrashing underneath my body. “It hurts.”

I bury my head in the crook of his neck, because I’m not satisfied. I want to hurt him, to mark him, to claim him as mine, because he seems to have forgotten.

“Rin, please, don’t,” he begs me, sobbing. “Don’t be so mad at me.”

I raise my head to look at him, ready to apologize, but my words get stuck in my mouth.

Haru’s bottom lip is bloody and swollen. It looks horrible.

I did this. 

I did this. 

I did this.

I hate him.

I love him.

I hate myself.

He’ll never forgive me.

As soon as that last thought settles into my mind, I know it’s the absolute truth. Haru won’t forgive me this time. 

I don’t say anything as I get up and free him. Haru stares at the ceiling, with tears streaking down the sides of his face, his lips parted in shock.

I hurt him and there’s no going back.

I go to the bedroom, take my bag and start stuffing random clothes in it. I know there’s no point in asking him for forgiveness.

A sudden noise behind me startles me. I turn around, my mouth dropping when I see Haru behind me. The tears are still shining on his cheeks, his eyes are red and swollen. 

“My mom wants to video call me,” he says. “Can you talk to her and tell her I’m sleeping or something?”

I’m staring at him like he’s lost his goddamn mind. 

“Then please put your clothes back in the closet,” Haru adds, muffling a yawn. “I’m tired and I want to go to sleep.”

He drops the phone in my hand, then goes back into the living room. I follow him, feling like lost, confused puppy.

“Haru, what are you…”

The phone starts ringing in my hand and I have no other option than to answer. I talk to his mom for a few minutes, barely able to speak because of the knot in my throat. I don’t know why Haru asked me to do this, maybe he wanted me to feel like shit? I don’t know. I’m confused.

Eventually, the conversation is over and I can finally end the call. I turn to look at Haru, who is sitting on the coach, his head tilted back so he can stare at the ceiling.

“We need to talk,” he tells me, on a serious, yet gentle tone, that sends shivers through my spine.

Please, let me go without shattering my heart in a million piece, I want to tell him. Please let me go without destroying me.

“I’m sorry,” Haru says. “I haven’t been by your side, knowing that you were struggling so hard with those comments.”

My mouth drops open. I just…hurt him horribly and he’s apologizing to me. Why is he apologizing to me?

“Haru, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just got very angry and couldn’t control myself,” I say, approaching the sofa. “I’ll never do this again, because I’ll leave tonight. I’ll find a place to stay, don’t worry, I won’t bother you anymore…”

“You’re leaving?” Haru is staring at me in disbelief. “No. You’re not.”

“I don’t want to hurt you again,” I reply.

The brunet grips the material of my shirt, squeezing it tight in his fists as he rests his forehead against my abdomen. “You’re not leaving me, Rin. Do you understand? I don’t care what happens to me, I want…”

“It’s not healthy. We’re toxic,” I say, my voice harsh. “I can’t control myself when I get jealous and you’re not right in the head if you accept this. I wanted to hurt you, I wanted it so badly. It’s not okay.”

Haru tilts his head back, looking like I’ve just slapped him. Before I even understand what’s happening, he pushes me on the floor, then straddles me. He pulls his fist back, then his knuckles collide with my face.

“There,” he says, his whole body shaking. “We’re even now,” he murmurs. “Go ahead, Rin. Do something worse. Hurt me more.”

I push him off of me, then I get up. “I’m leaving, Haru.”

“I’ll quit swimming,” he threatens me. 

“No, you won’t,” I reply, gripping his shoulders tight. “You can’t do this.”

“Yes, I can. And I will,” he responds, staring right into my eyes. “I will never go near a swimming pool.”

“What have I done to you, Haru?” I whisper, pulling him into my arms.

I kiss his forehead, then step away from him. I want to be selfish and breathe a sigh of relief that he’s willing to take anything from me, just to keep me here with him, but at the same time, I know what I’ve done is horrible.

Staring into his ocean blue eyes, I decide I want to be selfish again.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Haru, does it still hurt?” I ask, dreading the answer.

Haru has been acting different this morning, compared to last night. He’s staring at me with cold eyes again. 

I think I detect a hint of hate behind his ocean eyes.

“Yes,” he replies as he gently sets his mug on the table. “Rin, I think we should break up.”

I stare at him in disbelief. “But last night you said…”

“I think you’re right. I’m toxic for you. You never acted like this before we got together. I ruined you and I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore. I won’t tell anyone that you bit me out of spite,” he continues, cutting me off.

“No, Haru, I’m sorry I hurt you, it won’t happen again, I’ll do anything, just…”

He gets up. “You can stay here until we go to Barcelona. I’m not cruel.”

“Haru, let’s talk about this!” I yell after him.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go to practice,” he replies calmly as he exits the kitchen.

I lean back into my chair, still staring at the door he just went through.

I want to hurt him, so I simply get up and follow him into the bedroom. I lean in the door frame as I watch him put his swimsuit on, before he starts to get dressed. He’s ignoring me and it’s pissing me off.

“Good thing you decided to break up,” I say, before I can stop myself. “I’ve been trying that unsuccessfully for a while now.”

Haru’s eyes widen, but I’m not done.

“Don’t bother with the breakup sex,” I tease, chuckling. “I hate when you start crying.”

“Are you done?” he asks.

“Just one last thing. Stay the hell away from me in Barcelona. I don’t want people to think we’re together anymore,” I add, clearing my voice when it starts shaking.

I’m going to cry, I just know it. Haru knows it, too, because he approaches me and wraps his arms around me.

“It will be okay. You’ll be better off without me,” he says.

I stand motionless in the door frame and I don’t let myself crumble to the floor, sobbing, until Haru leaves the apartment.


	91. Ikuya's POV

My whole body is shaking and it hurts all over, but I think I can manage another IM. One more, until I can call it a day.

“Ikuya!”

I turn around, surprised to see Hiyori at our Uni’s pool. He has already started the training with his new coach, so I didn’t expect to see him here.

“Hey,” I say, then step onto the starting block.

“Still training, I see,” he mutters. “Aren’t you tired?”

“No,” I lie, then take my position.

“Do you want me to time you?” he offers.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” I snap, feeling angry all of a sudden. 

Hiyori doesn’t say anything, so I clear my voice, feeling embarrassed. For some reason, however, I can’t bring myself to dive. I’m standing on the starting block, not looking at him, but obviously waiting for something. I don’t even know myself what I’m waiting for.

“I’m…sorry about the other day,” he eventually says. “I didn’t mean to make fun of you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I respond bleakly. “It took a while, but I’m used to being on my own now.”

“Are we still…do you want to…what I want to ask is, did you book a hotel room in Barcelona?” Hiyori asks.

I shake my head. “I’m going to stay with Asami.”

“Ah, I see,” he mutters.

I sigh, then remove my swim cap and goggles, then turn to face him. “Ask Asahi, he was looking for a roommate the last time I checked,” I suggest as I start walking towards the locker room.

Hiyori follows me. “Do you want to hang out with me tonight?”

“And do what?” I inquire.

“Just spend time together, talk, work through our problems…”

I snort. “There’s no problem, we simply have different interests right now.”

The auburn haired man suddenly grips one of my shoulders and turns me around forcefully. “Ikuya, enough! I hate what’s happening between us right now. If I have to force you to hang out with me today, I’ll do it, mark my fucking words!”

I stare at him wide eyed for a few seconds and Hiyori blushes, before releasing me.

“I guess I have no choice, then,” I settle on saying. “Just let me shower and change.”

I will never admit to anyone, not even if someone points a gun to my head, how happy I actually am right now.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Why are your bags at the door?” I ask, squinting my eyes when I enter Hiyori’s apartment. “The flight is tomorrow evening.”

He shrugs. “Just in case. You never know what might happen.”

I roll my eyes and he playfully shoves me. “Stop judging me.”

I raise my hands. “Okay, fine! Is Hanabi working again?”

“Yes, I took a day off,” Hiyori replies. “Ah, don’t worry,” he immediately says when he notices the guilty expression on my face. “I didn’t do it because I was feeling guilty.”

We stare at each other for a few seconds, until he continues “Okay, maybe I was feeling guilty. I didn’t realize how much you actually needed me…”

I press a hand to my eyes. “Please, stop, you’re making me sound so fucking needy. It’s okay, it was the stress to the both of us. Can we leave it like this? Let’s pretend we’ve already apologized for what we’ve both done and let’s move on.”

Hiyori starts laughing. “Deal. Let me make it up to you by cooking you something.”

“Okay,” I immediately say. “I want yakisoba noodles. And fluffy cheesecake.”

“You know, I’m tired too…”

I shrug. “Fine, I’ll go back to my room and order food, then.”

Hiyori grabs my shoulder and forces me to sit on the sofa. “You little prick.”

I grin and he rolls his eyes.

I lean into the back of the sofa, relaxing as I take my phone out. I’m shocked to find dozens of messages and notifications from my close friends, teammates and even college classmates. I choose to open the message from Haru first, my eyes widening when I read it.

Apparently, someone has been spreading rumors about Hiyori, that he’s doping again and that they have proof Shinobu was accused wrongly in Seoul. The real culprit is Hiyori, according to this mysterious person.

I get up and immediately run to the kitchen to tell Hiyori about this, while I scroll through endless messages, all informing me about the same thing.

“Did you get a sudden urge to help me?” my friends teases me.

“Hiyori…there’s someone spreading rumors about you. About you taking enhancing drugs again.”

His eyes widen. “What do you mean, again?”

“There’s some mysterious person who claims to have proof that Shinobu was wrongly accused in Seoul,” I reply, shaking my head. “Do you think Ji Hoon is messing with you again?”

Hiyori slides down on the floor and runs both hands through his hair, gripping it in frustration. “That’s impossible. Ikuya, it can’t be him. We have so many things against him and he’s not even taking part in the competition in Barcelona, he’s in Australia right now.”

I kneel beside him and place a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. “I’m sorry, Hiyori.”

“We can ignore this. Right?” he asks, raising his head to look at me.

“I don’t know, what if it becomes worse? We should try to find out who this person is.”

“How?” he inquires, raising his voice. “We’re leaving tomorrow! No, it’s just a passing rumor. You’ll see, Ikuya, it will go away. It has to.”

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s chaos at the airport. Haru and Rin are staying as far away from each other as possible, one has a split lip, the other a bruised cheek. Kaede is ignoring us, he keeps typing on his phone and refuses to talk, with the excuse that he had a rough day. Sayuri kept trying to question everyone and find out the truth about their odd behavior, but since she got no answer, Sousuke kind of forced her to stop.

Kyoko, Kaede’s girlfriend, looks like she just got out of an abusive marriage. She’s got bruises all over her arms, a swollen and bruises eyed and a split lip. When I asked her what happened to her, she simply said she had an accident and that she doesn’t want to talk about it.

Hiyori keeps biting his nails in frustration, because he keeps receiving threatening messages on his phone, from an unknown number.

“Give me that,” I eventually say, forcefully taking his phone away. “They’re just trying to scare you, ignore them.”

“If I win, people will say it’s because I took enhancing drugs. If I lose and embarrass myself, then everyone will say that I’m the worst swimmer around, not even doping could help me,” Hiyori says as he tries to take his phone away. “We need to find out who this person is.”

“Or you could just give me your phone and talk to Hanabi using mine,” I suggest. “Here, let’s trade.”

Hiyori groans. “I’m going crazy. I really am. I will go insane and mess up my races.”

“Go buy yourself a coffee, it will make you feel better,” I suggest.

“Okay…do you want something, too?”

I nod. “Surprise me.”

I turn off his phone, then place it in my pocket. I don’t mention anything to Hiyori, when he returns, that almost as soon as I turned his phone off, Kaede stopped typing on his.


	92. Kaede's POV

“You’re paying,” Hanabi informs me as soon as we take out seats in the booth I reserved for us.

I snort. “You asked me out, remember?”

She bats her eyelashes. “Yes, but I did it because you actually wanted to spend time with me and had no idea how to put it into words. So, basically, you asked me out, you pay.”

I stare at her, with no expression on my face and she starts laughing. 

“So, how is practice?” she asks as she starts looking through the menu.

“I honestly can’t wait to leave. I’m dying for a change of pace,” I reply, then call the waiter. “Can I have a mint lemonade?”

Hanabi looks at me surprised. “Mint lemonade?”

I raise an eyebrow. “You do realize I’m waking up tomorrow at 6 am, to train, right?”

“A mojito, please,” she orders, chuckling. “Well, good thing I don’t have to do that.”

“Have you talked to your dad?” I ask, changing the subject.

“Nope. He won’t listen and I’m tired of trying to get through to him. I’m waiting for him to apologize. How about you? Have you been home lately?”

I shake my head. “I train the whole day, then drop dead as soon as I reach my sweet bed.”

“No Kyoko?” she teases me.

“We’re both training, Hana,” I point out. “She’s got homework as well.”

“I never would’ve imagined you to be so considerate of someone else,” she comments.

I stretch over the table just so I can flick the tip of her nose.

“How’s the newly wed life?” I ask her, grinning when she blushes.

“We’ve only moved together, stop it,” she replies, rolling her eyes. “Why are you such an asshole?”

“I thought I was considerate.”

“Not anymore.”

Both me and Hana stick our tongues out at each other at the same time. I lean into my chair, laughing and she does the same.

“What do you want to eat?” she asks me, still looking through the menu.

I shrug. “Something that fits my diet plan. Hm, this salad with roasted zucchini sounds good.”

Hanabi pretends to gag. “Yeah, no thanks. I’ll take the hamburger with fries.”

I let out a deep sigh as she asks for another cocktail as well when she puts in her food order.

~~~~~~~~~~

I will never understand how that tiny girl can eat like a frat boy. I run a hand through my hair as I let out a yawn, knowing that it’s too late and I don’t have time for the new action movie that came out today. 

I squint my eyes as I approach my apartment, because there’s a crouched figure in front of my door.

“Kyoko?” I ask, shocked to see her here, sitting on the floor, with her knees to her chest.

Her arms are wrapped around her legs and I can clearly see bruises all over her pale skin.

“Kyoko, are you okay? Who did this to you?”

I kneel next to her and gently place a hand on her shoulder. The girl raises her head suddenly and my mouth drops when I see her swollen bruises eye and her split lip.

“Can you grab onto me?” I ask softly as I guide one of her arms around my neck, before I slip my hands underneath her body so I can lift her.

I manage to hold her with only one arm as I pull my keys out and open the door, then I enter my apartment. I go straight to the bedroom, then I gently lay her down on the bed. She doesn’t look ready to talk, so I don’t press her anymore.

I take the first aid kit from the bathroom and when I return, Kyoko is sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Will you let me take care of you?” I ask and she nods.

I sit beside her, then put some antiseptic on a clean cloth and start to gently tap at her split lip. 

“Do you want some ice for you eye?”

“Yes, please. I can do this myself,” she finally says, taking the cloth from my hand. 

I always have ice packs in the freezer for my sore muscles, so I take one and bring it to her. I sit on the edge of the bed again, farther away from her than the first time.

“Kyoko, who did this to you?” I ask her as I gently press the ice pack to the side of her face.

Her blue eyes are ice cold as she looks up at me.

“You did this to me, Kaede. Don’t you remember?”

I blink, confused. I heard her, but I can’t seem to be able to understand the words.

“What do you mean? Is that a joke, Kyoko?”

She take the ice pack away from me, then shakes her head.

“It’s your word against mine, Kaede. My dad is a police officer. Whom do you think the policemen will believe? Their colleague’s daughter, who’s covered in bruises, or her older boyfriend that is known as a bully?”

I pass a hand over my face. “This is insane! Just tell me it’s a sick joke and we can get this over with…”

“It’s not a joke,” she cuts me off, brushing a hand through her blue and purple hair. “My friend can help destroy you as a swimmer, I hope you didn’t forget him.”

It finally dawns on me. “Ji Hoon. Is he the one who did this to you?”

Kyoko shrugs. “He’s in Australia, he couldn’t have done this. You did this to me, Kaede, remember. You owe me now.”

“This is ridiculous,” I snap, getting up. “Get the fuck out of my house.”

“Kaede, you don’t understand, you don’t have a choice!” Kyoko yells, her eyes filling with tears as she grabs my arm. “You either do as you’re told, or I’ll press charges.”

This is surreal. I feel a headache coming. Like the coward I am, I ask “What do I have to do?” 

~~~~~~~~~~

Hiyori will never forgive me. Never. 

I simply told a few people about Hiyori using enhancing drugs for real and the rumor has spread like wildfire. Kyoko instructed me to also add that there is actual proof of what happened in Seoul and that Shinobu is innocent.

This is clearly Ji Hoon’s attempt to save his boyfriend’s career and I would’ve laughed at it had it not been for Kyoko.

Someone had hurt her for real. Those bruises aren’t fake. 

I just hope Hiyori won’t lose his mind again. Looking at him as we’re all gathered at the gate, waiting to board the airplane, I know he’s close to losing it. My new task today is to bombard him with cruel messages and threats, over and over again.

I keep typing hateful texts, threatening to reveal the truth about Seoul. My hands are shaking and I feel sick. I feel like throwing up.

I don’t want to do this. But I can’t let Kyoko to deal with this alone. No matter what she tells me, I know that Ji Hoon has dirt on her. Huge dirt I guess, otherwise she wouldn’t be blackmailing me with the fake abuse shit.

I breathe a sigh of relief when Ikuya snatches Hiyori’s phone and eventually turns it off.

I can finally rest for a while.


End file.
